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AMERICAN NAYY: 



BEING AN AUTHENTIC 



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)ist0r2 of i\t litileb States i;a% 



BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES 



AMERICAIf MVAL HEROES, 

FROM THE FORMATION OF THE NAVY TO THE CLOSE OF THE 

MEXICAN WAR. 



Br 

CHARLES J. PETERSON, 

AOTHOR OP "the HISTOET OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION" — "THE MILITART HEROES OF THB 
WAR OF 1812" — " THE MTUTARI HEROES OF THE WAK ■WITH MEXICO," ETC, ETC. 



ILLUSTRATED WITH OVER ONE HUNDRED PINE ENGRAVINGS. 



PHILADELPHIA : 
PUBLISHED BY JAS. B. SxMITH & CO., 

NO. 610 CHESTNUT STREET. 

1858. 






tM»r*»i aecording to Act of Congrest:, in the year 1818, by 
JAMFS I GTHON. 
a efes Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Eastern District of PenncylvwHit. 






10 



COMMODORE CHAELES STEWAET, 

^w aBnrk 

IS KESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, 
BY THE AUTHOR. 




The biographies of naval captains, who have made them- 
selves renowned in the service of America, have been 
collected already by more than one author. The history of 
the Navy, in which they earned their laurels, has likewise 
furnished a fruitful theme for the pen. But the present 
is the first attempt, we believe, to combine a narrative of 
the rise and progress of this arm of the service, with the 
memories of the heroes who, in so many battles, asserted 
the honour of their flag and achieved their own immor- 
tality. 

The design of the work, however, does not stop here. The 
volume is intended to commemorate the exploits of the Navy, 
not only through the medium of a written narrative, but 
pictorially also. The wi*h to know how the hero who won 
the day looked, is the first desire of the reader who peruses 
the story of a great battle. To gratify this inclination, by 
procuring faithful portraits, has been a main object of this 

V 



Vi PREFACE. 

♦ 

work. A kindred curiosity seeks to recall the scene of the 
strife, as it actually appeared to the spectator. No efforts 
have been spared, accordingly, to obtain representations, as 
accurate as possible, of the more celebrated naval victories 
described in these pages. 

The present work, therefore, differs from any yet published. 
It is intended to combine the advantages of all, so far as this 
is possible, within the compass of a single volume. It gives 
in a compact mass, what is elsewhere to be found only in 
detached portions. The plan, it is believed, is entirely ori- 
ginal. And the conviction that it will be found acceptable, 
also, has induced the publisher to expend large sums, in 
order that the volume may be issued in a style worthy of the 
subject, and worthy likewise of general patronage. 

Of necessity, such a work can be little better than a mere 
compilation. It was not designed, indeed, to be more. It is 
offered to the public, not as containing much that is new, 
but as containing, in a new form, all that is old. Those 
who are thoroughly conversant with American naval history, 
or with the biographies of American naval heroes, will find 
little or nothing in this volume to reward perusal. It is 
not for such persons that it has been prepared. The work 
is intended for popular reading, not for students ; for the 
many, not for the few. There are millions of individuals in 
the United States to whom the triumphs of the national 
marine are but vaguely known ; and it is for these that the 
present compilation has been undertaken. 



PREFACE. vii 

No labour has beQn spared, however, to render the work 
accurate. It has also been endeavoured to make it equally 
comprehensive and full. Whether the effort has been suc- 
cessful, or not, a generous public must determine. Though 
the materials are generally those of others, the opinions are 
usually the author's own; and when this is not the case, as 
occasionally happens, the authority is invariably given. It 
has been frequently said, that excessive eulogy is the fault 
of biographers. It is possible that, after all, the author has 
not escaped the common epidemic : but he has, at least, 
made the attempt; and the reader, he trusts, will be chari- 
table in consequence. ^ ' 

It was the intention, when this work was first projected, 
to have narrated the triumphs of the more famous American 
privateers ; but the difficulty of obtaining accurate and com- 
plete information on this subject compelled the abandonment 
of the design. Public opinion, within the last generation, has 
been tending to the proscription of private armed ships ; and 
the author frankly avows that he coincides in the popular 
sentiment. He hopes, in the event of a war, to see none but 
national vessels authorized to capture and make prizes : but 
he does not expect it. He would, therefore, be presumptuous 
indeed, to censure a past generation for what even this is 
scarcely prepared to cast aside. He recollects, moreover, 
that but for our privateers, the cause of independence would 
have been almost lost, since to them "Washington was 
indebted for supplies of powder at Cambridge, which, in the 



Vlll PREFACE. 

absence of a regular navy, he would otherwise have failed to 
obtain. In the war of 1812, also, privateers were of great 
service. It is, in truth, generally believed that a privateer, 
at Fayal, by her desperate and protracted defence, detained a 
portion of the British fleet destined to operate against New 
Orleans, and thus, perhaps, saved that important city from 
capture. The author has no doubt, from a few narratives in 
^his possession, that if the history of the American privateers 
could be obtained, it would afford a chronicle of unparalleled 
heroism. Not unfrequently, too, it would furnish examples 
of patriotism not surpassed in the annals of the world. 

Though no American naval commander has, in one sense, 
rivalled the great admirals of England ; in another, several 
have surpassed the fame of the most renowned British 
captains. Our Decaturs, Stewarts, and Hulls have not, indeed, 
conquered in such battles as St. Vincent or the Nile ; for no 
American fleet has ever yet been engaged on the ocean with 
an equal force of the enemy. But they have, in single ships, 
met and overthrown the men who assisted at these greatest 
of British naval triumphs ; and it is a fair presumption that, 
if the encounter had been on a larger scale, the result would 
not have been dissimilar. That which gave Americans the 
victory in one case, would have won it for them equally in 
the other. Nelson might have been the vanquished, instead of 
the victor, if the United States, instead of France, had fought 
at Trafalgar. 




PAGE 

Dedication : iii 

Preface.... ^ 

History op the Navy 1 

Else of the Mercantile Marine 6 

To the Year 1750 9 

To the War of Independence 12 

. Organization of a Regular Navy 14 

Exploits in European Seas 18 

Close of the War of Independence 22 

Establishment of the present Navy 25 

The War with Tripoli " 28 

To the War of 1812 31 

The War of 1812 36 

To the War with Mexico 41 

The War with Mexico 45 

The Heroes of the American Navy : ■ 

Nicholas Biddle 51 

John Paul Jones "6 

Alexander Murray 1^0 

ix 



CONTENTS. 

PAGB 

Johp Barry 1 13 

Joshua Barney 125 

Richard Dale 137 

Thomas Truxtun 149 

John Shaw 161 

Edward Preble 170 

Richard Somers 195 

John Rodgers 2D9 

Isaac Hull 221 

Jacob Jones 244 

Stephen Decatur 255 

John T. Shubrick 297 

William 0. Bainbridge 302 

Isaac Chauncey 331 

James Lawrence 338 

William H. Allen 358 

Edward R. McCall 369 

William Burrows 375 

Oliver H. Perry 382 

Jesse Duncan Elliott 400 

Melancthon T. Woolsey 410 

David Porter 418 

Johnston Blakeley 449 

Lewis Warrington 459 

Thomas Macdonough .^ 466 

Robert Henley 477 

Stephen Cassin 482 

Charles Stewart 488 

James Biddle 513 

James Barron 528 

Robert F. Stockton 532 

David Conner ; 538 

Matthew C. Perry 543 




Frontispiece. 

Engraved Title to face Frontispiece. p^^^ 

Portrait of Captain Nicholas Biddle 50 

Line-of-battle Ship 51 

Explosion of the Randolph 62 

Portrait of Commodore John Paul Jones.... 67 

Interior View of the Gun-deck of a Vessel of War 68 

Hoisting the American Flag 72 

Action between the Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis 85 

Burning of the Capitan Pacha's Galley 95 

Portrait of Commodore Alexander Murray 101 

Mending Sails 102 

Portrait of Commodore John Barry 112 

Vessel in a Storm 113 

Portrait of Commodore Joshua Barney 123 

Action be<(Ween the Hyder Ali and the General Monk 122 

Portrait of Commodore Richard Dale 136 

Head-Piece— The Look-Out 137 

Portrait of Commodore Thomas Truxtun 148 

The Capture of L'Insurgente 149 

Copy of the Medal presented by Congress to Commodore Truxtun 157 

xi 



XU ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAOB 

Action between the Enterprise and Flambeau 160 

Head-Piece — Working a Gun on board a Man-of-war 161 

Portrait of Commodore Edward Preble 171 

Head-Piece — Gun-deck of a Man-of-war 170 

The Explosion of the Intrepid 194 

Head-Piece — Reefing Sails 195 

Portrait of Commodore John Rodgers 208 

Head-Piece— Furling Sails 209 

Portrait of Commodore Isaac Hull 220 

Hull's Victory 221 

The Escape of the Constitution 229 

Surrender of Captain Dacres 240 

Portrait of Commodore Jacob Jones 245 

Head-Piece— Ship Building 244 

Portrait of Commodore Stephen Decatur 254 

Decatur's Fight with the Tripolitan Captain 255 

Burning of the Frigate Philadelphia 264 

Action between the United States and Macedonian 273 

Action between the President and Endymion 281 

The Corpse of Decatur borne through Philadelphia 293 

Portrait of John T. Shubrick 296 

Head-Piece— The Round Top 297 

Portrait of Commodore William 0. Bainbridge.-w 303 

Head-Piece — Washing the Deck 302 

Portrait of Commodore Isaac Chauncey 330 

Steam Ship of War 331 

Portrait of Captain James Lawrence 339 

Action between the Chesapeake and Shannon 338 

Portrait of William H. Allen 359 

Head-Piece — Ship under Sail 358 

Head-Piece — Naval Emblems 369 

Action between the Enterprise and Boxer 374 

Head-Piece — Naval Action 375 

Portrait of Commodore 0. H. Perry 383 



ILLUSTRATIONS. xiil 

■ PAGE 

Head-Piece — Ship Building 382 

Battle of Lake Erie 394 

Portrait of Commodore Jesse D. Elliott 401 

Head-Piece — Ship in a Gale 400 

The Defence of Sackett's Harbour 411 

Head-Piece — Sloop of War 410 

Portrait of Commodore David Porter 419 

Head-Piece — The Essex under Sail 418 

The Capture of the Essex 440 

Portrait of Captain Johnston Blakeley 448 

The Action with the Reindeer 449 

Portrait of Commodore Lewis Warrington 453 

Head-Piece — Ship 459 

Portrait of Commodore Macdonough 457 

Head-Piece 4qq 

Portrait of Captain Robert Henley ^-jq 

Head -Piece 477 

Portrait of Captain Stephen Cassin ^§3 

Head-Piece 482 

Portrait of Commodore Charles Stewart 489 

Head-Piece 488 

Capture of the Cyane and Levant 501 

Portrait of Commodore James Biddle 512 

Head-Piece 513 

Head-Piece 528 

Portrait of Commodore Robert F. Stockton 533 

Head-Piece 532 

Stockton and Fremont's Triumphant Entry into Los Angeles 536 

Head-Piece 538 

Portrait of Commodore David Conner 539 

Head-Piece / 513 



HISTORY 



OF IJHE 



NAVY OF THE UNITED STATES. 



CHAPTER I. 

PRELIMINARY. 

The people of the United States are proverbially proud 
of their navy. Though comparatively of late origin, it has 
already made itself a name in histor3^ Its numbers, when 
contrasted with that of others, are and have been inconsider- 
able ; yet it has achieved victories that rival, in some respects, 
the proudest triumphs of England, Holland, and Venice. 

For it is not by the magnitude of numbers, but by the 
magnitude of results that victories are to be tested. Waterloo 
was a greater battle than Austerlitz, though fewer were 
engaged in it. The capture of the Guerriere was, to America, 
almost as important as was the battle of Trafalgar to England. 
The defeat of the British squadron, on Lake Champlain, 
saved the State of New York. The triumph of Barclay, on 
Lake Erie, would have laid the West open to foreign invasion. 
Americans have cause, therefore, for pride in their navy. 
On every occasion, heretofore, it has proved equal to the 
crisis. Its operations, indeed, have been on an inconsiderable 
scale, but it will, we may confidently predict, prove as tri- 
umphant in a larger sphere, when the necessity shall demand 

1 



I HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

it. The elements of a great navy exist in our people: all 
that is wanted to develop them is imminent peril. 

The empire of the sea, indeed, can belong only to a mari- 
time nation. Monarchs may build ships, and republics 
construct dock-yards, but unless seamen can be found, there 
will be no navy. For centuries it has been the ambition of 
France to obtain ascendency on the ocean. The most lavish 
sums have been expended on this favourite project, but 
success has never yet permanently crowned her efforts. 
This failure has not been because she is inferior to other 
nations in naval architecture, nor because her people are less 
brave, nor because gunnery is neglected in her ships of war; 
but because France has comparatively few seamen. She can 
build ships, but she cannot man them. From the fatal 
battle of La Hogue, in the reign of Louis the Fourteenth, 
down to the terrible disaster of Trafalgar, she has sustained 
an almost unbroken series of defeats at sea. Frigate after 
frigate, fleet after fleet have been torn from her by the 
prowess of England. Occasionally, a few French ships, 
manned by efiicient crews, have achieved victory; but these 
instances have been rare indeed. France can never become 
a great naval power, until her mercantile marine becomes 
more extensive. 

That it is only great maritime powers which can obtain 
the empire of the sea is proved by all history. It was when 
Venice monopolized the traffic of the Mediterranean, that 
her galleys were the terror of the Saracen and the defence of 
Europe. It was when Spain and Portugal contended for 
the commerce of the Indies, that the flags of other nations 
sank before them on the deep. It was when the ships of 
Holland filled every sea, that the Dutch cannon were heard 
at London, that the navies of France and England fled to 
their harbours, that Von Tromp proudly scoured the Channel 
with a broom at his mast-head. The decay of Venice, Spain, 
and Holland was followed immediately by the decline of 



OF THE UNITED STATES. 6 

their naval supremacy. When England succeeded to the 
traffic of the world, she succeeded also to the supremacy of 
the ocean. From the hour when Drake, the first of her 
native navigators, penetrated the Pacific Ocean, she began to 
obtain that naval superiority, which, for nearly two centuries, 
she has enjoyed. Her hardy seamen, accustomed to battling 
with the deep, are always at hand to man her ships when 
war breaks out; and it is in vain that other European powers 
attempt to rival her, for though they can build a fleet, they 
cannot man it properly, and, sooner or later, their vessels 
become hers. 

The necessity of veteran sailors in men-of-war can be 
made evident by contrasting soldiers with seamen in battle. 
The former are on firm land, and, if courageous and disciplined, 
have only to fear being overmatched. The latter are at the 
mercy of winds and waves, and may be called upon, perhaps 
in the very crisis of the conflict, to manoeuvre the ship, to 
reduce sail, or to cut away a mast. In such cases, the most 
expert crew can soonest return to the conflict, and, all things 
else being equal, is certain to win the victory. On land, the 
combatant has but to contend with his enemy : at sea, he has 
to battle with the elements as well as with his foe. It is 
evident, therefore, that seamanship is absolutely necessary 
to an efficient navy. A nation which is not maritime, and 
therefore without the material to man its ships, cannot 
become ascendant at sea. The brave men whom it forces 
on board its vessels by conscriptions are but so many 
victims to a mistaken policy, so many sacrifices to false 
ambition. It will be in vain for Germany to dream of a 
navy, for she must ever be agricultural, instead of maritime. 
Even Russia, after a century and a half of efibrt, has a navy 
but in name; for her mercantile marine is comparatively 
inconsiderable, and the crews of her armed ships are soldiers 
rather than seamen. 

The United States possesses, perhaps, a greater capacity 



4 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

for naval ascendency than any power on the globe. Great 
Britain, in truth, is the only nation that can approach her in 
this respect. The causes in each case are the same. Both 
the United States and Great Britain have large mercantile 
marines, which form a nursery for seamen, and from which, 
in case of war, crews to man the national vessels can be 
readily transplanted. At the rate at which the tonnage of 
the United States is increasing, it will not be long before her 
mercantile marine will surpass that of her great rival ; and 
when that event occurs, she will have it in her power, at 
any moment, to become the arbiter of the seas. It will only 
be necessary to build the ships, when the contest will be 
decided at a blow. The war of 1812 proved, especially on 
the lakes, what a maritime people can do in an emergency. 
The fate of the two several campaigns depended on having 
the command of Erie and Champlain : the ships were con- 
structed as if by magic ; and the seamen being ready made, 
as it were, the ascendency was gained, and the campaign 
decided in our favour. If a time should ever come when a 
great fleet will be necessary, it can be built and manned 
almost as rapidly, if the dock-yards are but filled. 

The United States has, from its earliest infancy, had a 
mercantile marine; and hence the rapidity with which, in 
every war, a navy has been formed. In the primitive days 
of New England, a large traffic was carried on with Madeira, 
and subsequently with the West Indies ; and this maritime 
spirit continued down to the war of Independence, notwith- 
standing the mother country made continual efibrts to check 
it, by oppressive navigation laws. The result was that New 
England, and, to a certain extent, others of the colonies, 
possessed a body of skilful, bold, and energetic seamen, who, 
when war was proclaimed, changed their peaceful voyages 
for warlike ones, and were ready, "at a day's notice, to sail on 
a cruise against the enemy. In every age, consequently, 
since the settlement of the country, the colonies, and subse- 



OF THE UNITED STATES. 5 

quently the United States, have been distinguished for naval 
efficiency. In the wars preceding the Revolution, more than 
one American seaman won his way, in the British navy, to 
the rank of admiral. When the war, of independence was 
declared, American privateers swarmed immediately on the 
ocean, attacking the English commerce, and paralyzing the 
efforts of the foe ; and to privateers soon succeeded national 
armed ships, which continued the career of profit and glory. 

With the growth of the United States, the extension of its 
seaboard has been so great that, at the present time, it sur- 
passes that of any other nation situated within the temperate 
zones. From the eastern cape of Maine, the curious naviga- 
tor may follow one unbroken line of coast, for thousands of 
miles, to the mouth of the Rio Grande ; and then, crossing to 
the Pacific, he may sail along seabeat shores from the lower 
boundary of California to the upper extremity of Oregon. 
The wants of such a vast seaboard will nourish a continually 
increasing coasting-trade, which, in turn, will be an ever 
extending nursery for seamen. Nor is this all.' In conse- 
quence of the Isthmus of Panama interposing between the 
Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, the bulk of the heavier 
trafiic between California and the Atlantic cities must 
always make the circuit of Cape Horn; and thus a school 
for skilful seamen will continue, as a necessity of the repub- 
lic, so long as the republic itself exists. It used to be said, 
the best sailors of the United States came out of the Delaware, 
because the difficulties in navigating that river compelled 
those who sailed in it to become perfect in their art ; and 
this being true, the route around Cape Horn to our Pacific 
settlements will be the means of improving, in no small 
degree, the standard of American seamanship, high even as 
it is. 

England is in the decline of advancing age; the United 
States in the first flush of youth. With a mercantile marine 
already approaching that of our mother country, though 



6 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

our vast resources are as yet only beginning to be developed, 
what will be our position, as a naval power, when we shall 
have attained to manhood, and when our ships will be 
counted by hundreds where they are now computed by tens ! 
If the wants of twenty millions of people can support a 
mercantile marine such as we now possess, what will not the 
wants of a hundred millions sustain ? Before the close of the 
present century, the number of seamen employed in Ameri- 
can vessels will almost exceed belief: and the majority of 
these, in the event of a war, will be available for national 
armed vessels, since employment in a more peaceful character 
will be, to a great extent, impossible to obtain. 



CHAPTER II. 

RISE OP THE MERCANTILE MARINE. 

The colonization of the United States Jiad scarcely com- 
menced' before commercial adventures began to be under- 
taken by the inhabitants. TJie Dutch, at that time the 
best navigators in the world, were the first to build a decked 
vessel within the limits of the present republic, which they 
did at their settlement. New Amsterdam, now New York, 
in 1614. The Plymouth colonists soon imitated this ex- 
ample. In 1633, a small ship was constructed at Boston, 
supposed to be the first built within the boundaries of New 
England. Meantime, a spirited trade grew up between the 
colonies and mother country. The fishing on the Banks of 
Newfoundland also assisted to develop the nautical enter- 
prise of the inhabitants. Already, in 1615, the English had 
one hundred and seventy vessels engaged in this business, 
while France, Portugal, and Spain had, altogether; three hun- 



OF THE UNITED STATES. 7 

dred : and the Massachusetts colonists, as soon as the first 
difficulties of the settlement were over, began to enter into 
competition for this lucrative pursuit. As early as 1639, we 
find laws passed to encourage the fisheries. 

Within twenty years after the landing of the pilgrims, 
quite a number of ships trading to Europe belonged to the 
settlers, while there was a still larger fleet of sloops owned 
by the colonists and employed in the coasting trade. As 
every vessel of any size carried a few light guns, to defend it 
from the Indians or to repel pirates, the navigation had 
most of the characteristics of an armed trade. In 1636, 
John Gallop, in his sloop, recaptured a pinnace belonging 
to Mr. Oldham, which had been taken by the Narragansett 
Indians; and this was, it is believed, the first naval combat 
ever fought by an American vessel. On more than one 
occasion, however, armaments were fitted out against the 
French, who then occupied Acadie, or Nova Scotia, as it is 
now called. 

Meantime, a thriving commerce had grown up in New 
England with the southern colonies, with Madeira, and with 
the West Indies. The maritime character of the people 
increased daily; and with it, occasions for nautical prowess. 
In 1645, a ship, armed with lourteen guns, was built at 
Cambridge, Massachusetts, and being despatched to the 
Canary islands, fell in with a Barbary rover, when an action 
ensued that lasted all day, till the rudder of the corsair 
being injured, the New-England vessel escaped. In 1650, 
the Dutch having made some encroachments in Long Island 
Sound, the colony of Connecticut employed a cruizer, 
mounting ten guns and carrying forty men, to defend 
the coasts and keep open the communication between the 
mainland and the opposite shore. In 1665, Connecticut 
maintained a small vessel off Watch Hill, to prevent the 
Narragansetts from crossing to attack the Montauks. These 
were the first advances towards a regular navy. All this 



8 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

while, the colonies were increasing with astonishing rapidity 
in numbers, wealth, and enterprise. 

In 1664, by the capture of New Amsterdam, the entire 
coast from Nova Scotia to Florida became open to their 
traffic ; and navigation as well as ship-building received 
accordingly a fresh impetus. At this time, it is computed 
there were one hundred thousand inhabitants of European 
extraction in the various settlements. The New-England 
colonies still continued to monopolize most of the commerce. 
Up to this period, Boston alone had constructed more than 
seven hundred vessels, of which thirty were over one hun- 
dred tons. Even at that early day, the master shipwrights 
of Massachusetts were thirty in number. The French, 
meantime, were occupying the lakes. In 1678, De la Salle 
launched a vessel of ten tons on Ontario, and in the year 
following, one of sixty tons on Erie. 

The whale fishery, another element of maritime power, 
was established at Nantucket about 1690. It was, at first, 
carried on in open boats, in the vicinity of that island; sub- 
sequently, decked vessels, which pursued the fish into 
higher latitudes, came into use; and finally, ships of the 
largest size were employed, the voyages extending to Brazil 
on the one side, and Greenlafid on the other. A hardy race 
of seamen was thus nourished, which, at a later day, won 
from Burke one of the most eloquent eulogiums in the lan- 
guage. 

In 1690, the Massachusetts authorities, annoyed by the 
French privateers from Acadie, despatched a force of seven 
hundred men, in eight small vessels, to extirpate the nuisance. 
The expedition was commanded by Sir William Phipps, and 
was entirely successful. Stimulated by victory, the same 
authorities fitted out, in the autumn of the same year, a 
squadron against Quebec, consisting of about forty vessels, 
carrying two thousand men. Sir William Phipps was again 
intrusted with the command. The expedition, however, 



OF THE UNITED STATES. . 9 

failed. In this same year, the Falkland, a fourth-rate, was 
launched in the Piscataqua, and is believed to have been 
the first vessel of her size constructed in America. During 
the war with France, which raged at this time, numerous 
small cruisers had been built in the colonies ; but no action 
of importance appears to have occurred at sea. 



CHAPTER III. 

TO THE TEAR 1750. 



At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the American 
settlements had attained a population of two hundred and 
sixty-two thousand; and the mercantile enterprise of the 
people kept pace fully with their increasing numbers. In 
1701, the Newfoundland fisheries alone employed one hun- 
dred and twenty-one vessels, two thousand seven hundred 
men, and nearly eight thousand tons. The shipping gene- 
rally had so much increased, that the mother country was 
supplied largely with transports, while no small part of the 
traffic between America and England was carried on in 
colonial vessels. Meantime, the coasting-trade was monopo- 
lized by American craft. The navigation laws, passed in 
1651, forbade this, indeed; but these laws had always been 
practically a dead letter in America. 

The war with France, which had been closed by the treaty 
of Ryswick, having broken out afresh, the colonies became 
again involved in hostilities. In 1706, Spain, being in 
' alliance with France, made an attack on Charleston, which 
was repulsed by the citizens, who, with Lieutenant Colonel 
Khett at their head, armed the ships in port, for that purpose. 
In 1707, an expedition was fitted out by the New England 



10 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

colonists against Port Royal; but it proved unsuccessful. 
Another, on a larger scale, but equally unfortunate, was 
planned in 1709 : in this instance, a want of co-operation on 
the part of the English caused the failure. A third, and 
successful one, was undertaken in 1710, when the crown 
and provinces conjointly acting, a fleet of thirty-six sail and 
six regiments were despatched, on which the place submitted. 
Another enterprise, in the following year, was projected 
against the French settlements on the St. Lawrence; but 
though fifteen men-of-war, forty transports, and six store- 
vessels were engaged in it, besides seven thousand troops, 
the affair proved abortive. 

The peace of Utrecht, in 1713, put an end to the war. 
From this period, the maritime power of the colonies in- 
creased with accelerated rapidity. The naval power of 
France and England, during the contest, had been so nearly 
balanced, that the risk of foreign voyages had been great, 
and comparatively few enterprises of this character had been 
undertaken; but now the adventurous spirit of New England 
found ample exercise in ventures of this description. Mean- 
time, the privateers, which had been employed extensively 
throughout the conflict, were abandoned. A few small armed 
vessels were, however, retained for the protection of the 
coasts, and for the suppression of piracies, which, about 
this period, became quite frequent in the American waters, 
and were not finally exterminated till the middle of the 
century. 

In 1731, Massachusetts owned thirty-eight thousand tons 
of shipping, of which one-half were employed in the Euro- 
pean trade. The next State, in maritime wealth, was Penn- 
sylvania, which owned six thousand tons. The cities of 
New York and Philadelphia, even at that day, had become' 
rivals for the commerce of the country. In 1737, the 
entrances into the former port were two hundred and eleven, 
the clearances two hundred and twenty; while the entrances 



OP THE UNITED STATES. 11 

into the latter were two hundred and eleven, the clearances 
two hundred and fifteen. Newport, now comparatively 
without commerce, had, at that period, a hundred sail of 
shipping, and was the fourth seaport, in point of importance, 
in the colonies — Boston being the first. It was about this 
time that American vessels first became engaged in the slave- 
trade, in which, for a long period, Bristol and other Rhode 
Island towns largely participated. 

In 1739, England declared war against Spain. It being 
the policy of the mother country to attack the colonies of 
her enemy, America became the seat of many of her prepa- 
rations and levies. The expedition against Carthagena was 
largely supplied with men and means from this country. So 
also was the enterprise against Cuba, in 1741. Three years 
later, when hostilities broke out with France, the colonies 
became even more extensively engaged in assisting Great 
Britain. In 1745, an expedition was fitted out by the New 
England States against Louisburg, a port that commanded 
the entrance to the St. Lawrence, and on the fortification of 
which the French had spent vast sums. The fleet consisted 
of twelve armed vessels, hired and equipped by the colonies, 
besides transports. The land force numbered about four thou- 
sand men. The first was commanded by Captain Tyng, of 
Massachusetts, the last by Colonel Pepperel, of Maine. The 
expedition was joined at Causeau by Commodore Warren, 
of the royal navy, who brought with him part of the West 
India squadron. On the 30th of April, Louisburg was in- 
vested by land, it having been blockaded for some time pre- 
viously by the combined British and American fleets. The 
siege lasted forty-seven days, when the place submitted. 

In this war, about four hundred privateers and letters-of- 
marque were engaged on the part of the colonies. Already 
the maritime power of the American settlements had become 
imposing. , ^ 



12 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 



CHAPTER IV. 

TO THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 

By the middle of the eighteenth century, two years after 
the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, the population of the American 
colonies, excluding Indians, had risen to a million. The 
mercantile marine continued to advance proportionably. 
Communications between the colonies were principally carried 
on by water, the result of the population being chiefly on the 
seaboard ; for, even so late as the war of Independence, but 
few settlers had crossed the Alleghanies. It is computed 
that, in 1750, the tonnage of the colonies equalled that of 
England, considered in reference to the population. The 
clearances at the different American ports were, in that 
year, over a thousand, and the entrances not much less. 
Massachusetts alone owned one vessel, of one description or 
another, for every hundred inhabitants. 

It was in 1750 that the live-oak, the most valuable ship- 
timber furnished by America, was first brought into use. 
Hitherto the white-oak had been principally employed in 
the construction of vessels. About this period, also, it 
became the custom with many American parents to enter 
their sons as midshipmen in the royal navy. Several of 
these young officers subsequently rose to the highest rank in 
the service. It is generally credited that his mother's affec- 
tion alone prevented Washington from entering the British 
navy. It would be curious to speculate on what would have 
been the result of the Revolution, if that great man had been 
lost to his country in the' struggle for independence. 

In 1756, England declared war once more against France. 



OF THE UNITED STATES. 13 

The conflict that ensued was waged principally on land, and 
gave but little opportunity for the colonial seamen to earn 
renown. The navy of France had, by this time, however, 
sunk into comparative weakness, so that the commercial 
ventures of the Americans continued to be prosecuted with 
little risk. The only enterprise at sea, of any importance, 
was an attack, in 1757, on Louisburg, that place having 
returned into the possession of the French at the peace of 
Aix-la-Chapelle. About eleven thousand troops, royal and 
provincial, besides a large fleet of transports and a respecta- 
ble armed squadron, were engaged in this expedition. It 
failed, however, in consequence of the superiority of the 
French in men-of-war. 

Numerous brilliant exploits on the part of colonial 
privateers are recorded of this war. One of the most 
remarkable was the action between the Thurloe fourteen. 
Captain Mantle, and the Les Deux Amis ten, Captain Felix. 
The Thurloe had a crew of eighty-four men ; the Les Deux 
Amis a crew of ninety-four. The French privateer, at first, 
endeavoured to fly, but discovering this to be impossible, he 
ran his enemy athwart hawse, intending to board him. The 
American vessel, conscious of a superiority of metal, and 
suspecting the crew of the foe to outnumber his own, re- 
sisted this attempt. The struggle continued for two hours, 
and was of the most heroic character. At last, however, 
the Deux Amis struck, but not until eighty of her men were 
either killed or wounded. The Thurloe's loss, in all, was 
thirty-seven. The combat was one of the most bloody re- 
corded of that or any other war, as having occurred at sea. 

From the peace of 1763 to the commencement of hostili- 
ties between the colonies and mother country, there is 
nothing of importance to record, connected with the mari- 
time progress of America. The colonies, notwithstanding 
the increasing difficulties with England, continued to grow 
in population; and with the growth of numbers, the mercan- 



14 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

tile marine necessarily kept pace. This is not the place to 
discuss the origin or trace the course of that great contro- 
versy, which, after raging for nearly twenty years, finally 
placed America and Great Britain in a hostile attitude to 
each other, and ended in the separation of the colonies from 
the mother country. It is sufficient to say that the attempts 
to enforce the navigation laws, the stamp act, the duty on 
tea, and other measures repugnant to that proud spirit of 
freedom which characterized the colonists, assisted, in turn, 
to produce the alienation. 

The first overt act of resistance was the burning of the 
royal tender Gaspee, by a party of Americans, in Providence 
Bay. A packet, plying between New York and Providence, 
had been chased by the Gaspee, for refusing to heave to and 
be examined; and, during the chase, the packet had led the 
tender on a shoal, where the latter grounded. In the 
following night, a party of patriots, in eight launches, left 
Providence, carried the tender by assault, and burned her to 
the water's edge. The British government offered a reward 
of a thousand pounds for the leader in this enteriDrise, but in 
vain. The first blood shed in the struggle between the 
colonies and mother country was poured out, not at Lexing- 
ton, but on the decks of the Gaspee. 



CHAPTER V. 

ORGANIZATION OF A REGULAR NAVY. 

When the war of independence began, in 1775, there 
existed no naval force whatever in any of the colonies. 
The Continental Congress, moreover, was so busily engaged 
in providing for an army, that the equipment of a navy, 



OF THE UNITED STATES. 15 

at first, received no attention. The maritime habits of the 
people, however, especially in the New-England States, 
turned individual enterprise towards the ocean ; and if 
proper commissions could have been procured, the sea would 
soon have swarmed with privateers. But the orders to 
capture were confined, in the beginning, to vessels bringing 
stores and supplies to the royal forces in America. In 
November of this year, however, Massachusetts, in her 
capacity as a sovereign commonwealth, established courts of 
admiralty, and enacted laws to encourage nautical enter- 
prise. Washington, as commander-in-chief of the American 
army, had already granted commissions to vessels to cruise 
in the vicinity of Boston and intercept British store-ships ; 
and, under this authorization, numerous prizes had been 
made. On several occasions, however, captured vessels had 
been discharged, as not coming within the class allowed to 
be taken. 

It was not until October, 1775, or six months after the 
battle of Lexington, that Congress took steps for the organ- 
ization of a navy. On the 13th of this month, a law was 
passed, ordering two small cruisers to be equipped, for the 
purpose of intercepting supplies for the British army. On 
the 29 th of the same month, a resolution was adopted, 
denying to private ships of war and merchant-vessels the 
right to wear pennants in presence of the continental ships. 
On the 30th, two more cruisers, and of a larger class, were 
authorized. Up to this period. Congress looked only for a 
redress of grievances, and did not contemplate a separation 
from the crown of Great Britain : hence the strictly defensive 
policy on which it acted. The burning of the town of Fal- 
mouth, by order of Admiral Graves, was necessary to produce 
a more decided line of conduct. This outrage, which led to 
the law of Massachusetts to which we have already alluded, 
caused the passage of a general prize-law by Congress. Un- 
der this act, the capture of British vessels in any way con- 



16 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

nected with the pending struggle was authorized. This law 
was followed, on the 13th of December, by another, providing 
for the construction of thirteen additional cruisers. 

By the close of the year 1775, therefore, Congress had 
authorized the equipment of seventeen men-of-war, varying 
in force from ten to thirty guns. These ships, however, 
were much inferior to what vessels of the same rate would 
be now. Their armaments were light sixes, nines, or twelves, 
carronades not having yet been introduced. 

A serious difficulty was found in procuring suitable officers. 
Competent seamen there were enough, but officers accus- 
tomed to the discipline of a navy were rare : indeed, except 
a few who had left the royal service before the war, none 
were to be had. A large number of Americans, it is true, 
were in the British navy, where they occupied all ranks, 
from that of a midshipman up to post-captain ; but there is 
only a single authenticated instance of such a person having 
thrown up his commission. Congress was accordingly com- 
pelled to select its officers principally from such masters and 
mates of merchant-vessels as were most conspicuous for sea- 
manship, presumed courage, habits of enterprise, and the 
capacity for command. 

Esek Hopkins, an officer highly recommended, was ap- 
pointed commander-in-chief of the new navy, a rank intended 
to correspond at sea with that of Washington on land. A 
sufficient number of captains and lieutenants was commis- 
sioned at the some time. Among the latter was John Paul 
Jones — among the former, Nicholas Biddle — names soon 
destined to become especially conspicuous. The first ensign 
displayed by a regular American man-of-war was hoisted by 
Paul Jones, in December, 1775, on board the Alfred, of 
which he was first lieutenant, that ship then lying in the 
Delaware. It is believed, on traditional authority, that the 
device of this flag represented a pine-tree, with a rattlesnake 
at its root, about to strike, and the motto, " Don't tread on 



OF THE UNITED STATES. 17 

me." The present national ensign did not come into use 
until 1777, and is generally supposed to have originated, in 
part, from the arms of the Washington family, the com- 
mander-in-chief having employed a private flag, not dissimilar, 
to distinguish his head-quarters. Until the adoption of the 
stars and stripes, the privateers, and even regular cruisers, 
carried different devices, the former usually the arms of the 
State whose commission they bore. 

The squadron, under Commodore Hopkins, sailed for the 
Delaware on the 17th of February, 1776, on a cruise against 
the British naval force then ravaging the coasts of Virginia. 
The little fleet consisted of eight vessels, of which the Alfred 
twenty-four was the largest. Not meeting with the expected 
enemy, the commodore sailed for the Bahamas, where he 
had been ordered to rendezvous. Here he determined to 
make a descent on New Providence, a large amount of 
military stores being known to be collected there. The 
forts were easily captured, but the British, having received 
intimation of the attack, had removed the principal part of 
the stores. The squadron now proceeded northward, captur- 
ing various small vessels on the way. On the 6 th of April, 
Hopkins fell in with the British ship Glasgow twenty; but, 
after an action of five hours, the royal vessel escaped. The 
failure of his squadron to capture the ship brought the commo- 
dore justly into disgrace. He was allowed, indeed, to remain 
in command for a short period longer ; but he did not go to 
sea again. In January, 1777, Congress finally dismissed him 
from the service. No naval commander-in-chief was subse- 
quently appointed, though a committee of Congress recom- 
mended the measure in 1781. 

The disgrace brought . on the infant navy by the action 
with the Glasgow was wiped away in part by the brilliant 
exploits of Paul Jones. This officer, promoted to the chief 
command of the Providence twelve, captured, in a single 
cruise, sixteen prizes, some of considerable value. He also 



18 HISTORY OF THE NAYT 

escaped from. English frigates, on two different occasions, by 
his superior tact and seamanship. Captain Biddle, in the 
Andrew Doria fourteen, also greatly distinguished himself, 
in a cruise to the eastward. 

Independence, meantime, had been declared, when Congress 
proceeded vigorously to increase the navy. In October, 1776, 
it authorized another frigate and two cutters to be built ; and 
in November, three seventy-fours, five additional frigates, a 
sloop-of-war, and a packet. In January, 1777, another 
frigate and another sloop-of-war were ordered to be con- 
structed. Eight of the prizes were also directed to be 
equipped as national vessels. 

At the same time, Congress regulated the rank of the 
different officers. Twenty-four captains were appointed, to 
take precedence as their names stood on the list, James 
Nicholson being the first. The rank of inferior officers was 
left to the marine committee. 



CHAPTER VI. 

EXPLOITS IN EUROPEAN SEAS. 



While the national vessels were busily employed at sea, 
the colony cruisers and privateers were no less active on the 
coast. After the evacuation of Boston, British merchantmen 
ignorant of the fact continued to steer for that port, and thus 
thirty sail fell into the hands of the Americans during the 
summer, of 1776. Among these prizes were several trans- 
ports, in which were captured five hundred men belonging 
to the British army, and with them Lientenant-colonel 
Campbell, the commander of the regiment. This officer was 
of particular value to the Americans at this time, as the 



OF THE UNITED STATES. 19 

possession of his person enabled them, by threats of retalia- 
tion, to prevent prisoners in the hands of the British being 
treated as rebels. 

Soon after independence had been declared, Congress 
despatched the Reprisal sixteen. Captain Wickes, to France. 
She carried out Dr. Franklin, appointed agent at the court 
of Versailles: In the autumn of 1776, the Reprisal reached 
her destination, accompanied by several prizes. As this 
was the first regular American cruiser which appeared in 
the waters of the Old World, so these prizes were the first 
captured vessels taken into a French port since the com- 
mencement of the war. The English ^ambassador loudly 
complained of this infraction of the treaty between his 
country and France ; but the court of Versailles was already 
secretly favourable to America, and means accordingly were 
found to sell the prizes without detection. The Reprisal, 
having refitted, cruised in the Bay of Biscay, where she 
made several additional captures, which she carried into 
Nantes. The disposition of these prizes was winked at also 
by the French government; and the proceeds are said to 
have proved of great benefit to the American commissioners 
in Paris. 

In April, 1777, the Lexington fourteen. Captain Johnston, 
arrived in France. The American commissioners now plan- 
ned a bold exploit, which was brilliantly carried out. The 
Reprisal, the Lexington, and a cutter called the Dolphin^ 
were placed under the command of Captain Wickes, with 
orders to cruise around Ireland. This little squadron sailed 
in June, and, in the execution of its orders, captured or de- 
stroyed a large number of the enemy's vessels. On its 
return to port, the British government, indignant at being 
bearded on its very coasts, made such angry representations 
to the French court, that the latter, not having yet decided 
to declare war, was compelled, to withdraw its countenance 
apparently from the Americans. The prizes, accordingly, 

3 



20 HISTORY OF THE NAYY 

were ordered to quit France, while the squadron was seized 
and held. In the end, the former were sold, off the port, to 
French merchants ; while the latter were allowed to sail, on 
giving security to leave the European seas. The Lexington 
left Morlaix in September, but was captured on the ensuing 
day. The Reprisal sailed about the same time, but foun- 
dered on the Banks of Newfoundland, when all on board 
perished, except the cook. 

While the American commissioners in Paris were planning 
the cruise around Ireland, they had fitted out an EngUsh 
cutter, and intrusted her command to Captain Conyngham. 
The commission employed on this occasion was one of 
several blanks placed at the disposal of the commissioners 
by the president of Congress. On the 7th of May, Captain 
Conyngham captured, off the coast of Holland, the Harwich 
packet, carrying the English mail for the north of Europe. 
As the cutter had been equipped in a French port, the court 
of Versailles was held answerable for its capture by the 
British ambassador; and on Captain Conyngham's return, 
he and his crew were imprisoned, and his prizes liberated. 
The English government hastened, on this, to send two 
sloops-of-war to Dunkirk, to conduct the captain and his 
men to England, there to be tried as pirates; but, before the 
arrival of these vessels, the prisoners, by the connivance of 
France, escaped. A second vessel, the Revenge, was now 
procured for Captain Conyngham, in which he captured a 
large number of prizes, a-nd once actually refitted, disguised, 
in an English port. ^ 

These bold cruises raised to a great height the reputation 
of the American navy. The terror among British merchants 
was unprecedented, surpassing even that created by the cele- 
brated Thurot, in the preceding war. Marine insurance rose 
to an enormous price in London. English bottoms were 
almost deserted, and, in a few weeks, forty sail of French 
ships were loading in the Thames — a circumstance never 



OF THE UNITED STATES. 21 

before known. Throughout Europe, the gallantry of the 
'American navy was the theme of universal applause. The 
arrogance of England had brought her into general disfavour; 
and these assaults on her maritime power were consequently 
viewed with enthusiastic, though often secret, approbation. 

From the departure of the Raleigh, in September, 1777, 
to the alliance with France, in the beginning of 1778, Ameri- 
can cruisers were almost banished from the European waters. 
Early in the latter year, however, Paul Jones was despatch- 
ed to France in the Ranger eighteen. After refitting in 
Brest, Captain Jones sailed, on the 10th of April, on a cruise 
in the Irish Channel. He made several prizes, attacked 
Whitehaven, and captured a British sloop-of-war, the Drake. 
On the 8th of May, Captain Jones entered Brest, and, soon 
after, the Ranger sailed for America, — Jones remaining in 
France, allured by the promise of a more important com- 
mand. After many vexatious disappointments, he succeeded, 
in June, 1779, in obtaining a small squadron, of which the 
Bon Homme Richard, an old Indiaman, armed with forty- 
two light guns, was assigned to him as a flag-ship. The 
consorts of this vessel were six in number, but inconsider- 
able in size, with the exception of the Alliance, a fine frigate 
of thirty-two guns, lately built in the United States, and 
commanded by Captain Landais, a French officer. With 
this fleet, Jones put to sea, but soon returned from stress of 
weather, and did not sail again until the 14 th of August. 
The cruise that followed .was one of the most remarkable in 
history. After capturing several prizes, threatening a de- 
scent on Leith, and carrying terror along the entire eastern 
coast of Great Britain, Jones, in the Bon Homme Richard, 
attacked the frigate Serapis, forty-four, and the Countess of 
Scarborough twenty-two, and, after a most desperate action, 
succeeded, almost unassisted, in compelling them to strike. 
The victory, however, was purchased by the loss of the 
Richard, which was so much injured as to sink not long 



22 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

after the contest closed. Jones, in anticipation of this, had 
transferred himself to the Serapis, in which vessel he reached 
the Texel, with the remains of his squadron, on the 6th of 
October, thirteen days after the battle. 

This exploit was the most brilliant ever performed in the 
European seas, by any American vessel, in -the war of inde- 
pendence. The Alliance subsequently cruised, under various 
commanders, in those seas, and made several valuable 
captures; but in no case was she matched against an enemy 
equal to herself in force. 



CHAPTER VII. 

CLOSE OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 

While the American flag was thus signalizing itself in the 
old hemisphere, its successes in the new were scarcely less 
distinguished. Not only were the continental ships doing 
good service, but most of the States had cruisers of their own 
afloat, while privateers innumerable swarmed the ocean. 
Even the lakes became the scene of brilliant exploits. In 
October, 1776, a flotilla, under General Arnold, maintained 
a gallant defence for two days against a superior British 
force on Lake Champlain. On the ocean, no less than three 
hundred and forty-two vessels were captured from the British, 
during the first year of the war. 

To record all the naval exploits of the different command- 
ers would require volumes. One of the boldest of the year 
1777 was performed by Captain Thompson, in the Ealeigh, 
a small frigate just launched. Meeting with the West India 
fleet, he stood resolutely through it, and, with the true spirit 
of a hero, attacked one of the convoying men-of-war, which 



OP THE UNITED STATES. 23 

he so cut up, before her consorts arrived to her assistance, 
that she was compelled to return to Europe. The Raleigh, 
on the approach of this overwhelming force, ran to leeward. 
But though she remained near the fleet for several days 
subsequently, the British men-of-war refused to come out and 
re-engage her. During this second year of the war, the 
English lost four hundred and sixty-seven merchantmen, 
captured by American cruisers and privateers. 

The capture of New York and Philadelphia having caused 
the destruction of several new frigates and prevented others 
from getting to sea. Congress had directed the construction 
of additional ones ; and, by the spring of 1778, these were 
in readiness to sail. The year opened with a disastrous 
event to the American navy, in the loss of Captain Nicholas 
Biddle, who was blown up in the Randolph thirty-two, on 
the 7th of March, in a night action with the British ship 
Yarmouth, sixty-four. The appearance of a French fleet at 
Newport, in July, the consequence of the treaty of alliance 
between the American Congress and the Court of Versailles, 
gave, for a time, a decided preponderance to the allies in 
the waters of the New World. In this year, besides the 
exploits of Jones and others abroad, Captain Barry gained 
great credit by his gallant resistance, in the Raleigh, against 
a couple of British men-of-war. 

In January, 1779, a mutiny broke out on board the 
Alliance, during the voyage of the latter to France. The 
mutiny was soon quelled, and it is only noticed here because 
it was the only serious one that has ever transpired in the 
American navy. In April, a squadron, composed of the 
Warren, Queen of France, and Ranger, captured, ofi" Cape 
Henry, three armed vessels, in addition to four merchantmen, 
besides twenty-four officers of the royal army. Captain 
Manly, who had already distinguished himself, earned new 
laurels this year, by taking two privateers, each nearly 
equal in force to his own vessel. Captain Williams, in the 



24 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

Massachusetts cruiser Hazard, fourteen, compelled the Active 
eighteen, to surrender, after a sharp action of half-an-hour. 
A disastrous expedition against the Penobscot, undertaken 
by Massachusetts, closed the principal naval events of 1779 
in the American waters. 

The ravages of the American privateers continued so great 
that, in 1780, the British government determined to ex- 
change no more prisoners captured in vessels of that descrip- 
tion. This line of policy struck a severe blow at the 
American marine, in which officers and men were more 
scarce already than ships. The fall of Charleston, in this 
year, led to the loss of four principal vessels of war, besides 
several smaller ones. In June of this year occurred an 
action between the American ship Trumbull, twenty, CajDtain 
Nicholson, and a British letter-of-marque considerably supe- 
rior in force. The combat is generally considered the 
severest, as a regular cannonade, that took place during the 
entire war. 

The three closing years of the contest furnished no ex- 
ploits necessary to be recorded here. But a small number 
of privateers were left, while the continental navy had 
greatly diminished. The contest at sea was principally 
confined, indeed, to the fleets of Great Britain and France, 
which, on several occasions, met and disputed the palm of 
victory, generally to the discomfiture of the latter. 

On the 11th of April, 1783, peace was proclaimed; and thus 
terminated the war of Independence. In this contest British 
shipping had suffered to a more enormous extent than in 
any war in which England had ever been engaged. 



OF THE UNITED STATES. 25 



CHAPTER VIII. 

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PRESENT NAYT. 

The poverty of the Confederation induced the sale, at the 
peace, of what few public cruisers remained ; and from that 
time to the formation of the new government, no armed 
vessels were kept, except a few revenue-cutters which differ- 
ent commonwealths maintained. 

Meantime, however, the Barbary Powers began to prey on 
* American commerce. Accordingly, Washington, when chosen 
to the presidency, recommended the establishment of a navy, 
in order to prevent similar outrages for the future. In 
pursuance of this advice, a law was passed, on the 27th of 
March, 1794, authorizing the construction of six frigates; 
and the keels of these vessels being immediately laid, the 
first of them, the United States, was launched in July, 1797. 
Among the frigates built at this time was the Constitution, 
since immortalized by an unbroken career of victory. Six 
post-captains were appointed contemporaneously, and the 
organization of a navy completed. 

In 1798, when a war with France appeared inevitable, 
twenty smaller vessels, no one to exceed twenty-two guns, 
were authorized, on the recommendation of the secretary of 
war. Three days afterwards, a regular navy department 
was formally created, Benjamin Stoddart being the first 
secretary placed at its head. On the 4th of May, an appro- 
priation was made for building galleys; and on the 28th, the 
capture and detention of French vessels was declared legal. 
Laws soon passed for the condemnation of such prizes. In 
June followed an act for the purchase and equipment of 



26 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

twelve addij;ioiial vessels of war. On the 7tli of July, the 
different treaties existing with France were abrogated by 
Congress, as they had been repeatedly disregarded by the 
French authorities. A marine corps was authorized, on the 
11th of July, in this year. 

The war with France was not of long duration, and was 
confined entirely to the ocean. By different laws, enacted 
at successive periods, the American government was autho- 
rized, when hostilities began, to keep afloat a force of thirty 
cruisers, of which twelve were to be frigates. This squadron, 
however, did not as yet fully exist, and not one of the frigates 
was ready for sea. The population of the country had, mean- 
time, risen to five millions, and the shipping increased to 
eight hundred thousand tons. The resources of the nation 
were consequently nearly twice what they had been when-- 
the war of Independence began. 

The Ganges twenty-four, which had formerly been g.n 
Indiaman, was the first American man-of-war that left port 
in this contest. The Constellation thirty-eight and the 
Delaware twenty followed. The latter, commanded by 
Captain Decatur, made the first capture of the war, Le 
Croyable, a privateer of fourteen guns and seventy men. 
The equipment of national cruisers was pushed forward with 
such alacrity that, before the close of 1798, twenty-three 
sail were at sea, of which fourteen had been built expressly 
for the public service. The spirit of the people was so great 
meantime, that two frigates and five large sloops were build- 
ing by subscription, in different ports. In the navy, both 
officers and men burned with a desire to distinguish them- 
selves; so that, though discipline was new, and many 
difficulties yet to be overcome, the nation felt that its honour 
could safely be intrusted to its vessels of war. 

The year 1799 had scarcely opened when this confidence 
in success was realized by the capture of the French frigate 
L'Insurgente, by Commodore Truxtun, in the Constellation 



OF THE UNITED STATES. 27 

thirty-eight. As this was the first occasion, since the 
establishment of the federal navy, in which a national vessel 
had subdued one of equal force, the result filled the people 
with unbounded exultation. A beneficial result of this 
victory was to render the navy exceedingly popular, so that 
applications for midshipmen's warrants poured in on the 
department. Many officers, subsequently highly distin- 
guished, were first rated at this time. A large number of 
merchantmen and several privateers were taken before the 
close of this year. , 

By the beginning of 1800, the American government had 
thirty-four men-of-war at sea. On the 1st of February, of 
this year, was fought the action between the Constellation 
thirty-eight. Commodore Truxtun, and the La Vengeance 
fifty-two, in which the latter drew off", apparently worsted, 
while the former, from her many injuries, was unable to give 
pursuit. In this year. Lieutenant Hull distinguished him- 
self by cutting out the Sandwich, a British packet, lying in 
Port au Platte. Lieutenant Shaw also won much credit by 
several captures, one of his prizes being materially superior 
in force. Lieutenant Charles Stewart first rose into notice 
in this year, by his gallant exploits while cruising in the 
West Indies. 

On the 3d of February, 1801, peace was concluded with 
France. Simultaneously, laws were passed, under an idea 
of mistaken economy, to reduce the navy ; and, in this way, 
many vessels were discharged from the service, as well as 
numerous efficient officers. 



28 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE WAR WITH TRIPOLI. 

After the reduction of the navy, but fourteen vessels 
remained, of which three were forty-fours, four were thirty- 
eights, one was a thirty-six, one a thirty-two, four were 
twenty-eights, and one was a schooner carrying twelve guns. 
In some quarters, it was urged that the navy should be 
entirely abolished. This period may, therefore, be con- 
sidered the crisis of its fate. Since 1801, instead of being 
further reduced, it has steadily increased. 

The war with France had scarcely closed before hostilities 
became necessary with Tripoli. To prevent the piracies of 
Algiers, the American government, imitating the example of 
European ones, had consented to pay tribute. The Bashaw 
of Tripoli, learning the derogatory concessions made to his 
neighbours, set up similar claims, when it became necessary 
either to submit to fresh insults or to chastise this arrogance. 
The American government determined on the latter, and 
for this purpose a squadron was despatched to the Mediter- 
ranean ; but, at first, its orders were confined to watch the 
Bashaw, and govern itself by circumstances. An attack on 
the schooner Enterprise, by a Tripolitan corsair, was the 
first overt act of the war. The corsair was captured, but 
afterwards released, nor were hostilities* formally declared, 
for some time subsequently. Commodore Dale, however, 
proceeded to blockade TripoU, and captured several neutrals 
attempting to enter the harbour. Towards the close of the 
year, Dale returned to America. 

Early in 1802, Congress authorized the capture and con- 



OF THE UNITED STATES. - 29 

demiiation of Tripolitan vessels ; and now the war may be 
said to have fairly begun. A second squadron, under the 
command of Commodore Morris, was despatched to the 
Mediterranean. The blockade of Tripoli continued to be 
maintained, and occasional encounters with the enemy's 
gun-boats occurred ; but no decisive events took place. An 
attack made, on the 28th May, on the town and castle, 
failed; and an attempt, immediately after, to negotiate a 
peace, proved equally abortive. In November, 1813, Com- 
modore Morris reached America, where his conduct of the 
war received general censure : he was ordered to a court- 
martial, which finding him guilty of the want of due diligence 
in annoying the enemy, he was dismissed the navy by the 
President. This penalty is generally considered to have 
been improperly severe. 

The successor of Morris was Commodore Prel)le, and, 
under his conduct, the war speedily assumed a new aspect. 
Experience had taught the American government, that for 
the successful prosecution of hostilities, light vessels of the 
size of the Enterprise would be necessary ; and accordingly, 
four of this description, two brigs and two schooners, accom- 
panied Preble out. The loss of the frigate Philadelphia, 
which had run upon a rock off Tripoli, in the preceding 
October, and been captured, coupled with the slavery to 
which her officers and crew were known to be consigned, 
had exasperated the Americans to a high degree. Accord- 
ingly the utmost enthusiasm to meet the enemy was dis- 
played on board Preble's squadron. In February, 1804, 
Lieutenant-commandant Decatur, having obtained permission 
of Preble, entered the harbour of Tripoli, set fire to the 
Philadelphia, and returned unharmed to the fleet : an enter- 
prise that awakened the general applause of Europe. 

A reinforcement having been despatched to the Mediter- 
ranean, Preble prepared for vigorous hostilities. The blockade 
of Tripoli had been continued unrelaxed, and several im- 



80 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

portant captures had been made, yet the bashaw exhibited 
no signs of relenting. Preble, in consequence, determined 
to assault the town, and accordingly appeared before Tripoli, 
on the 25th of July, with one frigate, six brigs and schooners, 
two bomb-vessels, and six gun-boats. In the period of time 
between' this and the 7th of September, the squadron made 
five different attacks upon the town, all conducted with the 
greatest intrepidity on the part of the assailants, and, though 
not resulting in the capture of the place, producing a whole- 
some terror of the American flag. The series of assaults 
was concluded on the night of the day last named, when the 
Intrepid, a fire-ship sent into the harbour, blew up with all 
on board. By this time the bashaw began to be disposed 
for peace. Hostilities were not, however, concluded until 
the 3d of June, 1805. In the interval, a combined land and 
naval attack on Tripoli had partially been executed, the 
latter under Captain John Rogers, the former under General 
Eaton, assisted by Hamet Caramilli, brother of the bashaw, 
and the rightful heir of the throne. It is believed that the 
timely interposition of peace alone prevented the success of 
this expedition and the dethronement of the usurper. 

The war with Tripoli was the true cradle of the American 
navy. In it arose that esprit de corps which has ever since 
characterized the service of the United States, and which, it 
is to be hoped, will survive as long as the flag of freedom 
waves on the ocean. 



OF THE UNITED STATES. 31 



CHAPTER X. 

TO THE WAR OF 1812. v 

The difficulty with Tripoli had scarcely been arranged, 
when it became necessary to send a squadron to Tunis, an- 
other of the Barbary powers, and guilty, like Tripoli, of 
depredations on American commerce. This fleet was the 
largest ever yet despatched to the Mediterranean, and was 
under the command of Commodore Rodgers. The Dey of 
Tunis, though at first refusing to conclude a peace, finally 
yielded, alarmed by this imposing force ; and thus the diffi- 
culties with the Barbary powers were brought to a conclusion. 
The squadron in the Mediterranean was now reduced, though 
a few cruisers were still maintained in that sea. 

In 1806, Confess passed an act authorizing the President 
to employ as many of the public vessels as he might consider 
necessary, but limiting the number of officers and seamen. 
By this act, the list of captains was increased to thirteen, 
that of the commanders to eight, and that of lieutenants to 
seventy-two. Meantime, however, there were no additions 
made to the number of vessels, except in the class of gun- 
boats, which were small craft, with a single gun, fit only for 
the navigation of harbours, bays, and sounds. The material 
which, in 1801, had been collected for building ships of the 
line, was now generally dispersed. The dock-yards were in 
a most inefficient condition; and all this in the face of a war 
in Europe, which involved the interests of commerce, and 
continually threatened to draw America into its vortex. 

The preference exhibited by the administration for gun- 
boats, which, though first authorized in 1803, did not come 



32 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

into general use until 1807, when fifty were afloat, gradually 
weakened the service. One of the worst consequences of 
this was, that officers, and especially seamen, became unac- 
customed to large vessels, so that the frigates, when required 
for duty, were either delayed in getting to sea or sailed un- 
prepared. An incident of this kind came near plunging the 
country into hostilities, in the summer of 1807. We allude 
to the attack on the Chesapeake by the British ship Leopard, 
and the surrender of the former, in consequence of being 
unfit for action. 

The Chesapeake was lying at "Washington, in May, 1807, 
preparing for a cruise, when the English minister informed 
the American government that three deserters from a Bri- 
tish man-of-war had enlisted among the crew of the frigate. 
The American government, while repudiating the right to 
have deserters demanded of it, expressed its willingness to 
surrender the deserters as an act of courtesy to a friendly 
power ; and accordingly ordered an investigation. The men, 
on inquiry, admitted the fact of being deserters, but claimed 
to have been originally impressed Americans, and a report 
was made to that effect. Here the matter dropped for the 
time. The Chesapeake, however, had scarcely sailed, and 
was still within sight of land, when a boat was sent from 
the British ship Leopard, which had been hovering in the 
offing, demanding the deserters. Commodore James Barron, 
whose flag-ship the Chesapeake was, promptly refused this 
demand. But no sooner had the boat returned to the Leo- 
pard than the latter proceeded to enforce her demand, open- 
ing a fire on the Chesapeake for that purpose. 

The iLmerican frigate was in no condition to resist this 
attack. She was not only a weaker ship than the Leopard, 
but had sailed in so lumbered a condition, that when Barron, 
perceiving the hostile intentions of his adversary, ordered 
her to be cleared for action, it was found impossible to be 
effected J and the only gun fired from her deck was dis- 



OF THE UNITED STATES. 33 

Charged by a coal hastily brought from the galley, and ap- 
plied by the fingers of Lieutenant Allen. Surrender, under 
such circumstances, was inevitable. The Leopard, after 
taking the three men in dispute, and another also claimed 
as a deserter, made sail ; and the Chesapeake, by the unani- 
mous advice of the officers, returned to Hampton Roads the 
same evening. 

The storm of indignation raised by this outrage fell 
principally on Commodore Barron. He was tried by a 
court-martial, found guilty of neglect of duty, and suspended 
for five years, without pay or emoluments. The specific 
charge on which he was condemned was that, on being 
boarded by the Leopard's boat, he did not know that force 
was intended to be employed, and prepare for action immedi- 
ately. But the demeanour of the boarding-officer, it appears, 
did not necessarily imply this ; and the verdict is now gene- 
rally considered to have been hasty and unjust. The real 
cause of this disgrace to our flag was the inefficient condition 
in which the Chesapeake put to sea ; and this was not at- 
tributable, fairly, to Commodore Barron. 

The American government, however, while it sacrificed 
Barron, did not forget to vindicate its character with Eng- 
land. Its remonstrances were so sharp that Admiral Berk- 
ley, who had ordered the attack, was recalled, and the whole 
affair disavowed by the British cabinet. The captain of the 
Leopard was never again employed, it being considered that 
he had exceeded his instructions. In addition, the captured 
deserters, or such of them as survived, were delivered up. 

The attack on the Chesapeake induced the President to 
call a special session of Congress. The popular reeling ran 
high against England, and, to a large portion of the people, 
a declaration of war would have been highly acceptable. 
The administration, however, chose a different policy. Be- 
lieving the republic unable to resist the demand of England 
that American ships should be searched for deserters, and 



34 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

unwilling to risk a war in order to produce the revocation of 
the British orders in council, by which neutral vessels were 
forbidden to carry the products of France, the President 
recommended that an embargo be laid against foreign com- 
merce, in every port of the Union ; and accordingly an act 
was passed to that effect. A more suicidal policy, perhaps, 
could not have been adopted. Nearly one hundred thousand 
seamen were thrown out of employment ; the shipping inte- 
rest generally was ruined ; and the revenue, hitherto princi- 
pally derived from imposts, fatally reduced. But the worst 
consequence of the measure was that its acknowledgment 
of weakness increased the presumption of Great Britain. 
Had the navy, instead of being neglected from 1804 to 1807, 
been steadily increased, the nation would have been in a 
condition to resent the late insult, and the embargo have be- 
come unnecessary. 

The affair of the Chesapeake, however, by directing public 
attention to the weakness of the navy, created a popular 
sentiment that, reacting upon Congress, led to a correction 
of this evil in part. In 1809, an act was passed, directing 
the President to equip certain additional vessels, and to in- 
crease the number of officers and men. The result of this 
law was to raise the effective force of the navy to seven 
thousand persons ; to withdraw the officers from the gun- 
boats, and to restore the ancient discipline of the service ; 
in a word, to save the navy from entire disorganization. 
About the same period, the government turned its attention 
to the great lakes. Under the discretionary powers conferred 
on the President by the gun-boat act, orders were given for 
the construction of three vessels, one on Lake Ontario, and 
two on Lake Champlain. 

Meantime, a season of comparative serenity succeeded the 
tempest of popular feeling which the affair of the Chesar 
peake had called forth. Great Britain, sorely pressed by 
Napoleon, then in the zenith of his power, exhibited little 



OF THE UNITED STATES. 35 

disposition to "come to an open rupture with the United 
States ; nor was the latter country less disposed to avoid a 
war. The embargo act having been repealed, a non-inter- 
course system was adopted ; but this, in turn, was abolished, 
and every restriction removed from commerce. Thus passed 
the years 1808, 1809, and 1810. During all this period, our 
national vessels were chiefly employed in cruising off the 
American coast. In the spring of 1811 occurred the un- 
fortunate collision between the President and Little Belt, in 
which the latter, an English man-of-war, was seriously injured 
by a broadside from the former, discharged in the night, 
under a mistaken idea. The affair, after mutual explana- 
tions, was dropped by the respective governments; but it 
continued to rankle in the minds of the people, both in Eng- 
land and the United States. 

The hope, which had been indulged for some time, that 
Great Britain would repeal her orders in council which 
were so onerous to American commerce, became, in the spring 
of 1812, apparently tenable no longer. Added to this, a plot 
was discovered, on the part of English agents, to sever the 
New England States, if possible, from the Union. The re- 
sult was, that Congress, on the 18th of June of this year, 
determined to put an end to the vacillating policy which 
had characterized the American government for so long a 
period, and accordingly declared war formally against Great 
Britain. The measure was one severely censured at the 
time, and certainly not defensible on the grounds usually 
taken. There was, in truth, no reason for declaring war in 
1812 which had not existed for several years ; but the peo- 
ple had, by this time, become irritated beyond endurance, 
and their voice expressing itself through Congress, hostili- 
ties were brought about in consequence, almost in direct 
opposition to the wish of government. 

The conflict, thus invoked by the popular voice, found the 
navy of the United States, exclusive of gun-boats, consisting 

4 



36 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

of only seventeen efficient vessels, of which but eight were 
frigates. The President was so impressed with the impossi- 
bility of resisting, with this scanty force, the vast fleets of 
the enemy, that he seriously entertained the design of laying 
up the vessels in ordinary ; and was only prevented from 
carrying it into execution by the energetic remonstrances 
of several eminent naval officers. The comparative weak- 
ness of the American national marine, at this period, may 
be estimated from a statement made by Mr. Cooper, who 
says that, when the war broke out, there were as many im- 
pressed Americans serving in the British navy as there were 
seamen in all the armed vessels of the United States. 



CHAPTER XL 

THE WAR OF 1812. 



Hostilities had scarcely begun when the country was 
electrified by news of a great victory at sea. On the 19 th 
of August, the Constitution, commanded by Captain Hull, 
fell in with the Guerriere, an English frigate of slightly in- 
ferior force, and, after a conflict of only half an hour, com- 
pelled her to strike her flag. The long career of successes 
against the French, which had attended the British navy 
for nearly twenty years, had created a general belief in the 
invincibility of English men-of-war, a belief in which even 
Americans largely shared. The decisive character of the 
defeat which the Guerriere suffered created a reaction of 
opinion in this respect ; and while it greatly raised the spirits 
of the American people, threw a lustre of glory around the 
American navy everywhere. The victory of the Constitu- 
tion was followed by others of scarcely less importance. On 



OF THE UNITED STATES. ' 37 

the 8th of October, the British sloop Frolic, of twenty-two 
guns, was captured by the American sloop Wasp, Captain 
Jones, of eighteen guns. On the 15th of the same month, 
the British frigate Macedonian was taken by Captain Decatur, 
in the American • frigate the United States. Both these 
victories were chiefly won by the superior gunnery of the 
captors. 

Meanwhile, the ocean swarmed with private cruisers, which 
had been fitted out immediately on the declaration of war. 
The destruction to British shipping was immense. Before Con- 
gress met, in November, no less than two hundred and fifty 
English vessels had been taken. These successes, on the part 
of the Americans, had been attended by comparatively few 
reverses. It is true that many merchant-vessels fell a prey 
to the British cruisers ; but the number was far less than 
might have been expected. Only three national ships were 
lost up to the close of the year ; and all these had been cap- 
tured by vastly superior forces. Another brilliant triumph 
over the British flag, meantime, relieved these slight disas- 
ters. On the 25th of December, the Constitution, which 
had sailed on a second cruise, and was now commanded by 
Captain Bainbridge, fell in with the English frigate Java, 
and, after a well-contested battle, forced her to surrender. 

The year 1813 opened with a naval victory scarcely less 
brilliant. On the 24th of February, the Hornet eighteen, 
commanded by Captain Lawrence, captured the British sloop- 
of-war Peacock eighteen, after a sharp but short action. 
The enemy's vessel was so much injured that she sank al- 
most immediately, carrying down with her nine of her crew 
and three of that of the Hornet. The victorious ship had 
originally formed part of a squadron commanded by Commo- 
dore Bainbridge, and had remained on the coast of South 
America when the latter, after having captured the Java, 
had returned to the United States. The other vessel of the 
squadron, the Essex thirty-two, Captain Porter, was destined 



38 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

to a career even more fortunate. Having missed his consorts 
at the appointed rendezvous, her commander boldly deter- 
mined to enter the Pacific and cruise against the British whal- 
ing and other ships, of which a large and valuable fleet was 
known to be in that ocean. The success of Captain Porter 
even exceeded his expectations. He remained in the Pacific 
for more than a twelvemonth, during which he totally de- 
stroyed the commerce of the enemy in that quarter of the 
world, replenishing his ship, meantime, with stores taken 
from his prizes. At last, in March, 1814, he was captured 
in the harbour of Valparaiso, in defiance of neutral rights, 
by the Phoebe thirty-six and Cherub twenty-two, British 
men-of-war, which had been despatched into the Pacific for 
the sole purpose of reducing the Essex. 

The successes of the Constitution, United States, and other 
vessels had inspired Congress, as well as the people, with 
confidence in the navy; and accordingly, early in 1813, 
measures were adopted increasing the number of ships in 
commission. In January, a law was passed to build four 
ships of the line and six frigates ; and in March an additional 
force of six sloops-of-war was authorized. The keels of the 
former were immediately laid, but none were finished in time 
to be of service in the war; the first of the frigates not 
being launched until June, 1814, nor the first seventy-four 
until July of the same year. Most of the sloops, however, 
were completed before the close of 1813. 

Hostilities had scarcely begun before the attention of the 
government was directed to the great lakes, which, it was 
always foreseen, would become the theatre of desperate con- 
flicts between England and the United States. Vessels were 
accordingly purchased, and others built, on Champlain, On- 
tario, and Erie ; while several bA,ve and skilful young officers 
were appointed to commands in those waters. » Several slight 
actions occurred before the close of 1812, in this quarter; 
but it was not until the following year that any decisive 



OF THE UNITED STATES. 39 

conflict occurred. In August, 1813, Lieutenant Oliver Perry, 
commanding the American squadron on Lake Erie, gained a 
complete victory over the British fleet, commanded by Cap- 
tain Barclay. The fruits of this triumph were not confined 
to the capture of the enemy'* vessels, for, by this victory, 
Canada was laid open to invasion, and the battle of the 
Thames, won almost immediately after by Harrison, placed 
a large portion of that province at the mercy of the 
Americans. 

The first serious check to this tide of success was received 
in June, 1813. On the first day of that month, the British 
frigate Shannon, thirty-eight. Captain Broke, appeared off 
Boston harbour, where the Chesapeake thirty-eight, com- 
manded by Captain Lawrence, the hero of the Hornet, was 
then lying. The Chesapeake, though unfit to engage in 
battle, as events subsequently proved, immediately made 
sail. A furious conflict between the two ships, in sight of 
land, was the result. A mortal wound received by Captain 
Lawrence, the fall of most of his officers, and the mutinous 
character of a portion of his crew, caused the surrender of 
the American frigate. The result was heard with unbounded 
joy by the British nation. The victory on Lake Erie, how- 
ever, which occurred soon after, relieved the depression 
which the loss of the Chesapeake had produced in the 
United States. The capture of the British brig Boxer, four- 
teen, by Lieutenant-Commandant Burrows, in the Enterprise 
fourteen, also assisted to restore the public confidence. 
Meantime, however, the enemy were hovering, in great 
force, about the waters of the Chesapeake, seeking to do 
what damage they could, but unable to effect little beyond 
predatory landings at various points. An attack on Craney 
Island, which was intended as something serious, was 
promptly repulsed. While the Southern waters were thus 
vexed, another fleet entered Long Island Sound, where, how- 
ever, they did no damage, except blockading the United 



40 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

States, Macedonian, and Hornet, in the harbour of New 
London. 

The year 1814 was distinguished by naval successes not 
less solid and brilliant than those of preceding seasons. In 
April, the Peacock eighteen,<3aptain Washington, took the 
Epervier, of equal force. In June, the Wasp eighteen, Cap- 
tain Blakely, captured the Eeindeer eighteen, Captain Man- 
ners. On the 1st of September, the Wasp made prize of 
another British cruiser, the Avon eighteen, Captain Arbuth- 
not. The crowning victory of the year, however, was that 
of Lieutenant-Commandant McDonough, who, at the head 
of the American squadron on Lake Champlain, completely 
overthrew the British fleet, though of superior force, on the 
11th of September. By this decisive victory, the invasion 
of the State of New York, which the enemy had not only 
projected, but partially carried into execution, was frustrated ; 
and that wealthy and populous commonwealth delivered 
from the presence of an unlicensed foe. No naval success 
during the whole war created more enthusiasm than this 
fruitful triumph. Almost simultaneous with this victory 
was the repulse of the British fleet at Fort McHenry, below 
Baltimore, by which that city, the fourth in the Union, was 
saved from conquest and contribution. 

The close of the year beheld the attack on New Orleans. 
In the preliminary defence of that city, the naval force took 
a conspicuous part, and, by retarding the approaches of the 
enemy, allowed General Jackson time to organize his army, 
complete his fortifications, and arouse the spirit of the neigh- 
bouring country. The gun-boats, at this crisis, proved of 
eminent service, under the skilful direction of Master-Com- 
mandant Patterson. 

Though peace was declared early in 1815, the intelligence 
was some time in reaching the American men-of-war, scat- 
tered, as they were, over the entire globe. In consequence 
of this, more than one important capture occurred after the 



OF THE UNITED STATES. 41 

treaty had been signed. The most decisive of these was the 
reduction of the Cyane twenty-four and Levant eighteen 
by the Constitution, now commanded by Captain Stewart. 
Soon after, this fortunate American frigate was beset at Port 
Praya, by an entire squadron of the enemy; but, through 
the skill of her commander, managed to escape them all. 
In March, the Hornet, now commanded by Captain Biddle, 
captured the Penguin eighteen. This was the last regular 
action of the war. 

In January of this year, the American flag had suffered 
a serious reverse in the capture of the President forty-four. 
Captain Decatur. But as the victory had been achieved by 
an entire British squadron, after a hot chase, in which Cap- 
tain Decatur long struggled against great odds, the disaster 
was regarded as more honourable than disgraceful to the 
navy. 



CHAPTER XII. 

TO THE WAR WITH MEXICO. 



The reputation of the American navy was greatly in- 
creased by the war of 1812. The brilliant manner in which 
our ships had been handled during the hostilities with France, 
and the dashing exploits of Decatur, Somers, and Stewart, 
in the disputes with Tripoli, had early attracted the atten- 
tion of Europe. But when the British flag, hitherto uni- 
formly victorious at sea, was compelled to strike to our own, 
the effect on public opinion abroad proved unprecedented. 
The American navy became immediately the theme of general 
applause. The bravery and skill of the American seamen 
were everywhere extolled. • 

Something of this rapture, indeed, was attributable to the 



42 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

envy, with which the maritime ascendency of Great Britain 
was generally regarded. But, even after making great al- 
lowances, much remained which might be legitimately ex- 
tolled. In every action, the American ships had been 
manoeuvred in a superior style; in every action, the gun- 
nery of the American seamen had been more skilful than 
that of their competitors. The frigate conflicts had, with 
barely one exception, resulted in favour of the Americans ; 
and that exception had been determined in part by accident, 
in part by treachery. The only occasions on which squa- 
drons had been engaged had been on Lakes Erie and Cham- 
plain ; and in both engagements the British had been com- 
pelled to strike to an inferior force. Our triumphs, too, as a 
general rule, had been decisive. The Guerriere had been 
literally cut to pieces ; so, also, had the Peacock ; while both 
the Java and Macedonian, though less seriously injured, had 
been made wrecks for the time. 

The British journalists attempted to explain the defeats 
their flag had suffered, by asserting that the American ships 
had been manned by picked crews; and more than one 
British historian has subsequently endorsed this libel. Only 
one vessel, however, is known to have enjoyed this advan- 
tage. That vessel was the Constitution. But even this 
frigate was manned, in her first and most celebrated battle, 
not by a picked, but by a very ordinary crew. Others of the 
most hardly-contested actions of the war were won by ships' 
companies that were even worse than common. This was 
particularly the case at Lake Champlain. Neither had the 
officers, in general, enjoyed much experience. The success 
of our navy is to be attributed, therefore, to the moral quali- 
ties of the American people : to their aptitude for the sea, 
to their confidence in a just cause, and to the high spirit of 
a republican nation. 

The close of the war found the navy in a state of great 
efficiency. , It was popular with the people, a favourite with 



OF THE UNITED STATES. ^ 43 

Congress, the pride and boast of its officers and seamen. 
The ships, instead of being neglected, as had happened after 
the French and TripoHtan wars, were maintained in all their 
efficiency; while, at different periods, additions were made 
to their number. Most of the two-deckers at present in the 
navy were constructed during the generation immediately 
following the war of 1812. Large accumulations of timber 
and other materials were made, and dry-docks built at the 
most important stations. The gun-boat system was silently 
abolished, and the federal funds confined to the erection of 
sloops-of-war, frigates, and line-of-battle ships. 

Peace had no sooner been concluded with England than 
the American government turned its attention to Algiers, 
one of the Barbary powers, which had taken advantage of 
the war just closed to oppress our commerce in the Mediter- 
ranean. A fleet of ten sail, under the command of Decatur, 
was despatched to chastise the offender. The commodore 
arrived at Algiers on the 28th of June, 1815, and, before 
two days elapsed, had extorted a treaty, at the cannon's 
mouth, from the piratical dey. The squadron then pro- 
ceeded to Tunis and Tripoli in turn, with reclamations on 
those powers for injuries inflicted on our marine during the 
late contest ; and, at both places, redress was promptly ob- 
tained. Decatur now returned to the United States, and was 
succeeded by Commodore Bainbridge, at the head of a fleet of 
nineteen sail, — the largest which had, up to that time, ever 
appeared in the Mediterranean bearing the American flag. 

The republic being now at peace with the whole world, 
the navy was .divided into four squadrons, destined respec- 
tively for the Mediterranean, Pacific, Brazil, and West Indies. 
In 1841, a home-squadron was created, to cruise on the coast 
of the United States. By this method, the dignity of the 
nation is maintained in all parts of the world, and American 
commerce everywhere protected. The various squadrons are 
absent from two to three years. That which is destined for 



44 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

the Pacific, frequently, however, remains longer in service, 
having, as part of its duty, to circumnavigate the globe. 
The vessels are changed, periodically, from one station to 
another, and the officers are distributed in like manner ; and 
thus as much efficiency as can be obtained by a nation at 
peace is secured for the service. 

Stimulated by the examples of Great Britain and France, 
Congress was induced to fit out an exploring expedition, 
to make a voyage around the globe. The scheme, as pro- 
jected at first, was of the most comprehensive character. 
But motives of economy led to serious curtailments before 
the plan was carried into execution, and the squadron which 
was at last despatched was scarcely worthy of so great a 
nation. The success of the expedition, notwithstanding this 
parsimony, was decided. Many important discoveries in 
geography were made, and, among others, that of a vast 
antarctic continent. The scientific corps who attended the 
squadron added materially to the general stock of know- 
ledge respecting natural history in all its departments. On 
the return of the little fleet, Lieutenant Wilkes, the chief in 
command, wrote an elaborate narrative, which was published 
by the government, in several volumes, filled with plates. 
Copies of the work were then presented to the various powers 
with which the United States was in terms of amity. This 
scientific expedition was scarcely less valuable, as a means 
of elevating the character of the American navy, than the 
victories of the war of 1812 had been. The latter established 
its prowess in battle; the former proved its adventurous spirit 
of discovery. 

With the application of steam to ocean navigation, atten- 
tion began to be directed to war-steamers, and several vessels 
of this character were constructed by government as ex- 
periments. For many years prior to the war with Mexico 
the chief additions to the navy were of this kind. Subse- 
quently, numerous steamers were built by private capital, 



OF THE UNITED STATES. 45 

under contracts for carrying the mails to foreign ports, with 
the stipulation that, in the event of war, they should be 
placed at the disposal of the United States. 

It having been thought that naval architecture was 
declining in America, several specimen sloops-of-war were 
directed to be constructed, in order that the most successful 
one should be used subsequently as a model. In these 
various ways the efficiency of the navy has been endeavoured 
to be maintained. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

THE WAR WITH MEXICO. 



The war with Mexico, which broke out in 1846, had been 
preceded by such a state of feeling between that power and 
the United States, that the latter had considered it advisable 
to keep a much larger fleet than usual in the Gulf. Accord- 
ingly, a heavy squadron had been concentrated there, under 
command of Commodore Conner. When hostilities actually 
began, a strict blockade of Vera Cruz, the chief seaport of 
the enemy, was instituted, and maintained throughout the 
autumn of 1846 and the winter of 1847. Tampico, Alva- 
rado, and Tuspan, Mexican towns lying on the coast, were 
captured during this period, by the fleet. 

The Pacific squadron, meantime, was not idle. Intelli- 
gence of the war had no sooner reached Commodore Sloat, 
in command of this fleet, than he resolved to make a descent 
on the more important ports of the enemy, scattered along 
the Californian coast. Accordingly, he seized Monterey. 
Soon after, however, he was relieved by Commodore Stockton. 
But the latter continued to prosecute the bold designs of his 



46 HISTORY OF THE NAVY 

predecessor, and, in August, 1846, in conjunction with some 
land forces under Colonel Fremont, captured Los Angelos, 
the capital of California, and reduced the entire province to 
subjection. One of the first acts of the administration, when 
the war broke out, had been to plan an expedition against 
California; but Sloat, Stockton, and Fremont, with the 
energy characteristic of American ofiicers, anticipated the 
scheme, as we have seen. 

The fleet soon after departing, in order to guard the inte- 
rests of American commerce elsewhere, the province rose in 
insurrection. Fortunately, Stockton was still within recall. 
Returning to the vicinity of Los Angelos, the commodore 
debarked a portion of his men, and soon gained decisive ad- 
vantages over the enemy. In December, he was joined by 
General Kearny, at the head of a detatchment of American 
soldiers, who had left the Mississippi soon after the declara- 
tion of hostilities, and made a forced march across the conti- 
nent.- In two well-contested battles, fought on the 8th and 
9th of January, 1847, the Californians were finally reduced 
to subjection, by the combined land and naval forces, under 
Kearny and Stockton. 

Simultaneous with the expedition by Kearny, a regiment 
of volunteers, commanded by Colonel Stevenson, had been 
despatched to California, by way of Cape Horn. These sol- 
diers had been enlisted with great (?are, so as to secure a body 
of robust and industrious men ; for it was arranged that, after 
having conquered California, they should remain and settle 
there. The regiment reached its destination at an opportune 
moment, and was of signal benefit in overawing the province, 
which made no further attempts, after the arrival of Colonel 
Stevenson, to repudiate the rule of the United States. 

While the navy had been winning these laurels on the 
Pacific coast, it had not been idle in the Gulf of Mexico. 
Towards the close of 1846, the administration having re- 
solved on the capture of Vera Cruz, an army of twelve thOu- 



OF THE UNITED STATES. 47 

sand men was collected, under the command of Major-general 
Scott, at the mouth of the Rio Grande. Early in March, the 
troops embarked in transports from the island of Lobos, and 
arrived at Antonio Lizardo. The two following days were 
spent in reconnoitring the coast, in order to select a suitable 
spot for a landing. In this service Commodore Conner, who 
had concentrated his fleet to assist in the siege, lent his 
valuable counsels to General Scott. On the 9 th, the debark- 
ation took place, at a point below the town. While the 
troops were being transferred from the transports, the gun- 
boats and steamers of the squadron stood close in, to cover 
them in case the enemy should show himself on the sand- 
hills. The landing, however, was effected without resistance. 

In the siege that followed, the navy distinguished itself 
especially. The squadron kept up an almost incessant bom- 
bardment on the castle of San Juan de Ulloa. Parties of 
seamen, also, were landed, with heavy breaching-cannon from 
the ships, and, taking up positions in the trenches, did infinite 
damage to the foe. The navy and army, indeed, ran a race 
of generous rivalry, each striving to surpass the other in 
deeds of courage and heroism. About this time, Commodore 
Conner was superseded by Commodore Perry ; so that the 
glory that was won should be divided between the two : the 
first having deserved renown for arranging the preliminaries, 
while the latter obtained it by sharing in the actual triumph. 

This was the last occasion in which the navy enjoyed the 
opportunity of distinguishing itself during the war. The 
Mexicans having neither national ships nor a mercantile 
marine, there was no room for a repetition of the brilliant 
feats at sea which had dazzled the world in 1812. A few 
insignificant captures of vessels bearing the eneray's flag 
were made ; but no action, worthy of the name, occurred. 
It had been expected, when hostilities began, that the Mexi- 
can government would commission privateers, in order to 
prey upon our extended commerce; but, though it made 



48 HISTORY OF THE NAVY. 

numerous offers, none were taken up, and the war was thus 
practically restricted to a struggle on land. 

While Upper California, as we have said, remained in 
quiet subjection, Lower California was less contented with its 
new masters. The entire force of the Americans, in this 
province, did not reach a thousand, while the Mexicans, 
rallying, brought five thousand into the field. Under these 
circumstances the war was carried on principally at sea. 
The chief ports were blockaded. Detachments were landed 
at favourable points, as occasion demanded, and in the skir- 
mishes thereby ensuing, the American seamen were usually 
victorious. Wherever garrisons had been left, at the time 
of the rising, they maintained themselves against the insur- 
gents, regardless of odds. At San Jose, Lieutenant Hay- 
wood, with seventy sailors and marines, held out against a 
force of five thousand guerillas for twenty-one days, — a feat 
worthy to be recorded in the annals of the Paladins. 

In 1850, Mr. Grinnell, a merchant of New York, offered, 
if government -yould man the ships, to purchase and fit out 
two vessels, in order to search for Sir John Franklin, an 
English navigato^', who, in 1845, had sailed on a voyage of 
arctic discovery, but had not returned. The generous tender 
was accepted. The officers of the navy rivalled each other 
in volunteering for the expedition ; and their example was 
imitated by the men. In the spring of 1850, the vessels left 
JNew York, commanded by Lieutenant De Haven, on their 
perilous enterprise. They remained absent until the autumn 
of 1851. Though failing to reach the lost navigator, they 
made many valuable discoveries ; so that the time consumed 
was not uselessly wasted. The perils that were surmounted 
almost surpass belief During their absence, the ships en- 
countered an English expedition despatched on a similar 
errand, when the superior daring of the Americans, amid 
the dangers that surrounded both, extorted a public confes- 
sion from their generous rivals. 



n- 




LINB-OF BAIILE SHIP. 



NICHOLAS BIDDLE. 



Some men become famous by a career of brilliant deeds, 
and some by an early and melancholy martyrdom. Nicholas 
Biddle is an example of one combining both these claims to 
the remembrance of his countrymen. After a dazzling suc- 
cession of exploits, he was blown up in the Randolph frigate, 
while heroically engaged with a vessel nearly double his own 
in size ; and by this untimely fate, his name has been ren- 
dered as immortal as the cause for* which he died. 

Nicholas Biddle was born at Philadelphia, on the 10th of 
September, 1750. His paternal grandfather, William Bid- 
dle, was one of the most influential and wealthy of the early 
settlers of New Jersey. On the maternal side, the subject 
♦of this memoir was a grandson of Nicholas Scull, for many 
years surveyor-general of the colony of Pennsylvania. 
Young Biddle received the rudiments of an ordinary educa- 

5 ' 51 



52 NICHOLAS BIDDLE. 

^ion, but was prevented by his passion for the sea from com- 
pleting a very extended course of study. Before he had 
attained his fourteenth year, he embarked in that profession 
to which he devoted, without intermission, the remainder of 
his years. 

His first voyage was made to Quebec. In the following 
year, 1765, he sailed from Philadelphia to Jamaica and the 
bay of Honduras. This voyage was an important one to the 
young sailor, for it first developed those qualities for which 
he afterwards became famous. His vessel left the bay of 
Honduras towards the close of December, 1765, bound to 
Antigua. Scarcely had it reached the open sea, however, 
before one of those terrific hurricanes which ravage that 
coast arose. The Avind blew with an appalling violence, 
such as the young seaman had never imagined, much less 
witnessed; while the lightning blazed incessantly, and 
heaven and sea rocked under the roar of thunderbolts. In 
similar gales many a gallant ship has gone down, of which 
no intelligence has ever been received. The vessel in which 
Biddle was embarked was more fortunate ; but she struck a 
shoal, and for a while her crew thought her irretrievably 
lost. The ship, however, hung together, and on examina- 
tion it was found she had been cast away on what are called 
the Northern Triangles. For two days and nights the men 
remained upon the wreck, but, at last, fearing she would go 
to pieces, they took to their yawl, the long-boat being lost, 
and made for the nearest land, a small, uninhabited island, 
about three miles distafit from the reef wliere they had 
struck. The ocean was still violently convulsed. The slight 
craft in which they had embarked now rose almost perpen- 
dicularly on the billows, now plunged headlong into the 
trough of the sea ; but they manfully struggled on, keeping 
her head to the surges, and baihng out the water she shipped. 
Frequently one or another of the men was ready to give out, 
but the rest urged him to persevere, until finally they gained 



NICHOLAS BIDDLE. 63 

solid ground. Among the most resolute and energetic in 
this emergency was young Biddle, then only in his six- 
teenth year. 

But the trials of the crew were not yet ended. Now be- 
gan one of those scenes which so frequently occur to those 
who "go down to the sea in ships," but which have no 
parallel, or but rare ones, on land. Some provisions having 
been procured from the wreck after the swell from the late 
storm had subsided, the crew remained for several days on 
the island, refitting their boat and arranging their plans. 
The yawl being too small to carry off all, it became neces- 
sary to leave a portion behind, but they were loath to do 
this, and hoped that succour might appear. At last the pro- 
visions being nearly exhausted, it became necessary to come 
to a decision. Accordingly it was .resolved that lots should 
be cast to determine who should remain, and this being done, 
it fell to Biddle and three others to be left. With heavy 
hearts the four mariners saw their comrades put off, and, 
standing together on the shore, watched the boat as it grew 
less and less in the distance, until finally it faded away on 
the blue horizon. Then, after silently regarding each other, 
they turned to look upon their island. It was bare, rocky, 
almost verdureless, a hopeless and uninviting desert. For two 
months, Biddle and his companions remained on this de- 
serted spot, exposed to every inclemency of the weather, and 
frequently suffering for water and provisions. During this 
interval, various efforts were made by their late comrades, 
who had safely reached port, to send to their relief, but every 
attempt for a while proved abortive, until hope began to die 
within the bosoms of Biddle and his companions. At last 
the glad spectacle of a sail was seen on the distant sea- 
board ; it grew larger and larger : it was evidently approach- 
ing the island. Signals were hoisted immediately by the 
sufferers, who very soon had the inexpressible pleasure of 
beholding the vessel make towards them, and send a boat 



54 NICHOLAS BIDDLE. 

ashore. In a few minutes they stood on her deck, and dis- 
covered she had been despatched to their rescue. In the 
trying emergencies of the shipwreck, and in the depressing 
scenes that succeeded, young Biddle had behaved with a 
coolness, courage, and endurance far beyond his years. Al- 
ready his older shi23mates deferred to him as one born to 
command; already they prophesied the future greatness of 
the hero. 

Biddle now made several voyages to Europe, by which he 
added to his knowledge of his profession. The mercantile 
marine, however, did not entirely satisfy his wishes : he had 
read of Blake, Vernon, and the other great admirals of Eng- 
lish history ; and he longed for an opportunity to rival the 
deeds of those immortal seamen. Accordingly, in 1770, 
when war was threatened between Great Britain and Spain, 
in consequence of the dispute about the Falkland Islands, 
he embarked for London, intending, if possible, to enter the 
English navy. He carried with him a letter of introduction 
from Thomas Willing, at that time an influential merchant 
in Philadelphia, to his brother-in-law, Captain Sterling, the 
commander of a national ship. Through this epistle he suc- 
ceeded in obtaining the appointment of midshijDman ; and in 
that capacity served for some time under Captain Sterling. 
The dispute with Spain being accommodated, he desired a 
more active sphere, and therefore in 1773 threw up his com- 
mission, in order to embark, as a sailor before the mast, in 
the expedition then fitting out under Captain Phipps, to 
search for the North-west passage. He had first endea- 
voured to obtain the permission of Captain Sterling to join 
the expedition, but that officer, being unwilling to part with 
him, refused to yield assent, on which young Biddle laid 
aside his uniform, and entered on board the Carcase, one of 
the two ships fitting out for the enterprise. It is related of 
our hero, that when he first appeared on his new ship, a sea- 
man who had known him before, and who supposed he had 



I 



NICHOLAS BIDDLE. 55 

been disgraced, came to offer his sympathies ; but what was 
his astonishment when he learned the truth, and heard that 
the young officer had voluntarily assumed this inferior posi- 
tion in order to share the renown of the expedition ! It is a 
curious circumstance that Lord Nelson, then a youth of Bid- 
die's age, embarked on this voyage under precisely similar 
circumstances. It is said that both were appointed cox- 
swains, a striking proof that merit cannot be concealed. 

The history of the expedition is one of privation, endu- 
rance, and heroism beyond what is ordinary for mortals. 
The search for a North-west passage had then just begun, 
and the seas visited by the navigators were almost unknown. 
With intrepid perseverance, however, the ships advanced, 
surmounting difficulties that would have appalled common 
explorers, until they reached the latitude of eighty-one de- 
grees and thirty-nine minutes, or within nine degrees of the 
pole. In that high northern region, the sun in summer never 
sets, but, like a ball of fire, revolves just above the horizon. 
The cold was intense. Huge mountains of ice covered the 
chilled ocean far and near, grinding and crashing together, 
when they drifted into contact, with a sound like thunder. 
The sky was bleak and forbidding, even in clear weather ; 
but, when snow squalls arose, wild and alarming. With 
sounds and sights like these, our young hero became familiar. 
At one time the vessels, for five days, were entirely sur- 
rounded by icebergs, and even the most sanguine began to 
doubt if they could escape. During this protracted period 
there was scarcely a minute in which the ships were not in 
imminent danger of being crushed to pieces ; and no prospect 
could have been more terrible than to see two huge moun- 
tains of ice, hundreds of feet high, slowly approaching on 
either side of the apparently doomed vessels. Biddle, it is 
said, kept a journal of this voyage, but it was never pub- 
lished, and was subsequently lost with him in the Eandolph. 

When the expedition of Phipps returned to England, afiairs 



56 NICHOLAS BIDDLE. 

between the colonies and mother country had grown so 
alarming that a collision was daily expected. In this emer- 
gency, Biddle hastened to his native soil, eager to offer his 
sword to the cause of American freedom. He reached Phila- 
delphia in 1775. His reputation had preceded him, and he 
was almost immediately appointed to the command of the 
Camden, a galley which had been fitted out to defend the 
Delaware river. This service did not, however, please him, 
being too inactive for his ardent and adventurous soul. Up 
to this period there had been no national marine, but nume- 
rous captures had been made by vessels commissioned by 
Massachusetts and by General Washington. The first 
movement of Congress, in favour of a continental navy, was 
made on the 13th of October, 1775, by the passage of an act 
authorizing the fitting out of two swift-sailing vessels, one of 
ten, and the other of fourteen guns. A brig and sloop were 
in consequence purchased, and ordered to cruise to the east- 
ward to intercept supplies intended for the British army in 
Boston ; but it does not appear that they went to sea at this 
time. On the 30th of the same month, a ship of thirty-six 
guns, and another of twenty, were directed to be provided. 
Hitherto Congress had only legalized the seizure of ships with 
royal supplies : but the depredations of the enemy now pro- 
duced a general prize law, authorizing the capture of all 
British vessels in any manner connected with the pending 
struggle. This was followed, on the 13th of December en- 
suing, by an act authorizing a fleet of thirteen sail, among 
which were to be five of thirty-two guns, five of twenty-eight, 
and three of twenty-four. This may be considered the germ 
of the American ,navy. The command of the little squad- 
ron was bestowed on Ezekiel Hopkins, with the official title 
of Commander-in-chief. Two brigs had been purchased in 
the mean time, by the marine committee of Congress, under 
the general powers confided to them, and these were now 
added to the force under Hopkins. To the command of one 



NICHOLAS BIDDLE. 57 

of these brigs, the Andrew Doria, Biddle was appointed at 
his own solicitation ; and, in the latter part of February, ac- 
companied the squadron to sea, on an expedition against 
New Providence, where valuable stores invited an invasion. 

During the passage the small-pox broke out in the fleet, 
"^hich was manned principally by seamen from New Eng- 
land. The crew of Biddle, being from Philadelphia, had 
been inoculated for the disease, and were therefore free from 
danger; accordingly, Biddle took on board, from the other 
vessels, great numbers of the sick, whom he and his men 
tended with assiduous care. Every part of his vessel was 
crowded with the sufferers ; even the long-boat was prepared 
for their accommodation ; and Biddle, surrendering his own 
cot to a sick midshipman, slept on the lockers. In this con- 
dition the squadron arrived at New Providence. Fortunately 
for the invaders, no suitable preparations had been made for 
resistance, and in consequence the place fell an easy prey, 
though the governor, having been warned in time of the pur- 
pose of the expedition, had managed to remove most of the 
powder the night preceding the surrender. Nearly a hun- 
dred cannon, however, besides considerable stores, were cap- 
tured by the Americans. The squadron continued at New 
Providence until the 17th of March. During this interval 
the crew of the Andrew Doria, from their crowded situation, 
became sick, and soon there were not men enough capable 
of doing duty to man the boats. When the fleet sailed for 
New London, there were still so many of Biddle's crew ill, 
that he could not properly fight his batteries. Nevertheless, 
When, on the 6 th of April, the squadron fell in with the 
Glasgow, a British ship of superior force to any one of the 
American vessels, the Andrew Doria took her share in the 
action, until the enemy managed to escape by his swiftness, 
after seriously injuring the Alfred and Cabot, the two nearest 
ships of Commodore Hopkins. 

Having refitted at New London, Biddle received orders to 



58 NICHOLAS BIDDLE. 

sail to the Banks of Newfoundland, that he might intercept 
the transports and storeships bound to Boston, at that time 
still occupied by the royal troops. The cruise that followed 
was one of the most brilliant of the whole war. The Andrew 
Doria carried but fourteen guns of small calibre, and w^as 
manned by less than a hundred persons, yet, before she 
reached the Banks, she had captured two transjDorts, with 
four hundred Highland troops on board. Pursuing his voy- 
age, Biddle took so many British merchantmen, that when, 
soon after, he returned to the Delaware,- but five of his origi- 
nal crew remained with him, the rest having been distributed 
in prizes, and their places supplied by volunteers from the 
prisoners. The Andrew Doria was so crowded with the 
latter, that for several nights before Biddle entered the Capes, 
he never left the deck. His gallantry during this cruise 
made his name at once famous ; and Congress rewarded him 
almost immediately with the command of the Randolph, a 
fine frigate of thirty-two guns. 

With his usual activity he hastened to prepare his ship 
for sea, and in February, 1777, sailed from Philadelphia on a 
cruise. He had been out but a few days, when, in a heavy 
gale of wind, all the masts of the Randolph went overboard. 
Owing to the scarcity of American seamen, Biddle had been 
forced to complete his crew with some British prisoners, who 
had expressed a desire to serve ; and these now resolved to 
seize the ship, which they thought would fall an easy prey 
in her present helpless condition. The plot was accordingly 
attempted to be put in execution. The mutineers, giving 
three cheers, rushed at the officers. But in this emergency, 
the decision and heroism of Biddle saved his ship. Rallying 
around him his officers and such of the crew as remained 
faithful, he rushed boldly in among the malcontents, seized 
the ringleaders, and crushed the mutiny. The Randolph 
now pursued her course to Charleston, whither she had borne 
away after her disaster. Having refitted at this port, as 



NICHOLAS BIDDLE. 59 

speedily as possible, she resumed her cruise, and three days 
after, encountered four sail, bound from Jamaica to London. 
One of these vessels, the True Briton, mounted twenty guns, 
and was commanded by a conceited officer, who had fre- 
quently expressed a wish to meet an American armed vessel, 
and had boasted of the ease with which he would capture 
the rebel. But now, on seeing the Randolph, he made all 
sail in flight. Biddle gave chase, and overhauled the fugi- 
tive, who, finding he could not escape, hove to and opened a 
cannonade. The Randolph, however, coolly continued her 
course, until close upon the enemy, when she prepared for a 
broadside. At this the British captain hauled down his 
colours. Biddle now went in pursuit of the other vessels, and 
by the superior smftness of his frigate succeeded in capturing 
each of the three in turn. Having secured his prizes, all of 
which proved to be valuable, he returned to Charleston, 
having been absent but a week. He was received, on land- 
ing, with acclamations. His name was repeated, far and 
near, as that of a hero, men comparing him with the great 
naval captains of England. The legislature bestowed on him 
substantial marks of its favour. Volunteers, crowding to his 
quarters, solicited the privilege of following him in the path 
of victory. He was already, though not yet twenty-seven, 
at the pinnacle of human glory. 

In the early part of February, 1778, Biddle put to sea again, 
accompanied by four smaller sail. His intention was to cap- 
ture a squadron of four vessels, led by the Carysfort frigate, 
which had been cruising off the mouth of Charleston harbour, 
to the great detriment of its trade. Not finding the enemy 
in the expected position, Biddle stood to the eastward in 
hopes yet to meet him. On the second day out he retook a 
dismasted ship from New England ; as she was without a 
cargo, he removed her crew, armament, and stores, and then 
set her on fire. Having convinced himself, after a few days' 
cruise, that the squadron he sought had left the coast, he 



60 NICHOLAS BIDDLE. 

proceeded to the West Indies, where, in the vicinity of Bar- 
badoes, he captured an Enghsh schooner bound from New 
York to Grenada. He also boarded a number of French and 
Dutch vessels, knowing they would give information of his 
presence to the enemy, for he sought, rather than avoided, an 
attack. " As to any thing that carries her guns upon one 
deck," he said to his officers, " I think myself a match for 
her." At last, on the 7th of March, when the Randolph had 
been out about a month, a sail was seen to windward at three 
p. M., on which signals were made from the commodore for 
the squadron to haul upon a wind, in order to speak the 
stranger. At four she was made out to be a large ship. At 
seven, the Randolph being to windward, hove to, which ex- 
ample the Moultrie, the second ship in the little fleet, imi- 
tated, she being at the time about one hundred and fifty 
yards astern, and to leeward. At eight the strange sail had 
approached near enough to throw a shot ahead of the Moul- 
trie and hail her. Immediately afterwards she hauled her 
wind, and hailed the Randolph. It Avas now seen, for the 
first time, that the stranger was a two-decker, and wore 
British colours. Some of those on board the Randolph spoke 
of flight. " No," said the heroic Biddle, " we will fight. If 
we can run alongside and board her, victory may be ours in 
spite of her superior size." 

The night had now closed in, and though the sky was full 
of clouds, the moon struggled occasionally into view, throw- 
ing a dim haze around. While this conversation was held, 
the enemy had been ranging up on the "weather quarter of 
the Randolph. Biddle now directed the American flag to be 
hoisted, and at the same instant poured a broadside into the 
foe. • It was returned by the enemy, when the action became 
general. For a while the consorts of the Randolph could 
render her no assistance, for she lay so close to her gigantic 
adversary, that a shot fired at one was almost sure to en- 
danger the other. The battle, therefore, was almost entirely 



NICHOLAS BIDDLE. 63 

between the frigate and the line-of-battle ship. At last the 
stern of the enemy being clear of the Randolph, the Moultrie 
opened her fire ; but soon after, the foe shot ahead, bringing 
the Randolph between them, on which a broadside from the 
Moultrie went through her consort. Biddle was wounded 
in the thigh by this discharge, and for a moment great confu- 
sion prevailed on board. But ordering a chair to be brought 
on the quarter-deck, the heroic leader kept his post, and soon 
restored confidence to his men. 

The battle now became fiercer than ever. The crew of 
the Randolph, aware of the desperate nature of the contest, 
fought with the fury of lions at bay, firing three broadsides 
to the enemy's one. Notwithstanding this rapidity, how- 
ever, the aim of the Americans was generally true, as was 
soon betokened by spar after spar cra,sliing on the side of the 
foe. Animated by the crippled condition of the British 
ship, the crew of the Randolph rent the air with cheers. 
Meantime the consorts of the American frigate, unable to 
participate in the struggle, watched its progress with intense 
anxiety. A thick bank of smoke had by this time partially 
concealed the combatants from sight, though the position of 
the Randolph was known by the girdle of flame in which she 
moved. Suddenly a stream of fire of the most intense bright- 
ness shot upwards from her deck : spars and masts were 
hurled towards the sky ; and a stunning explosion followed, 
as if a thousand broadsides had been let ofi* simultaneously. 
The vfessels of the squadron reeled from truck to keelson, 
while the very firmament appeared to tremble. The Ran- 
dolph had blown up. Soon a dark cloud of smoke settled 
over the spot lately occupied by the devoted frigate, while, 
through the gloom, a pattering was heard as of bodies falling 
on the water. When the first moments of awe and horror 
had passed, and the murky vapour had cleared off from 
above the wreck, a hundred anxious eyes were turned in 
that direction, to see if any signs of the heroic Biddle or liis 



64 NICHOLAS BIDDLE. 

crew could be detected. The moon, wading sadly through 
the clouds, threw a ghastly light upon the scene, but not a 
single living, being was visible on the dark expanse of waters. 

The cause of this disaster was never discovered. At the 
time, none of the crew of the Eandolph were picked up, 
though search was made for some hours, in the vicinity of 
the explosion. The Moultricj and other ships of the squad- 
ron, finding they could be of no service, hastened from the 
scene; and the ,enemy, who proved to be the Yarmouth 
sixty-four, was too much crippled to give chase. Four days 
subsequently, this vessel, cruising in the vicinity of the dis- 
aster, rescued four men from a piece of wreck ; they were 
the only survivors of a crew of three hundred and fifteen. 
Even they could give no clue to the mystery of the explo- 
sion. It is said that Biddle, just before he sailed, cautioned 
all the ships of the squadron, " in case of coming to action 
in the night, to be careful of the magazines," and this has 
been supposed to intimate his knowledge of some defect in 
that important part of a man-of-war ; but we can see no force 
in this suggestion, especially as his remark applied to all the 
ships as well as to the Randolph. It is useless, indeed, to 
speculate on what produced the disaster. A chance shot, a 
spark dropped in the magazine, or any other of a dozen 
causes may have led to the explosion. 

Biddle, at the period of his untimely death, was engaged to 
a young lady of Charleston, and the marriage was to have 
taken place on his return from this cruise. His melancholy 
fate threw a gloom over a large circle of personal friends. 
His amiable disposition, his mild manners, his strong sense 
of religious and moral duty, his habitually cheerful conver- 
sation, and many other inviting and estimable qualities, had 
made him loved wherever he was known, so that he was de- 
plored not only as a hero, but as a man. In the navy he 
stood, at that time, without a rival. Brave to excess, a mas- 
ter of his profession, tempering the rigour of discipline by his 



NICHOLAS BIDDLE. 65 

affability, lie attained a popularity with his men never 
excelled, unless perhaps by Decatur. In his early death 
the nation mourned the loss of one of her most promising 
heroes. Like the young eagle which, has just begun to 
breast the storm, and which falls transfixed by a thunder- 
bolt, he was struck do^vn at the very outset of his career, as 
if Fame feared he would mount above herself! 

In person Biddle was about five feet nine inches high, re- 
markably handsome, strong, and active. 




INTERIOR VIEW OF THE GUN-DECK OF A VESSEL-OF-WAR. 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 



If ever there was a man in modern times in whom there 
dwelt the soul of a sea-king, that man was the celebrated 
John Paul Jones. Descended from a family long settled on 
the eastern coast of Scotland, where, centuries ago, colonies 
of Norwegians established themselves, it is not improbable 
that there flowed in his veins some of the blood of those 
ancient bucaneers. His character certainly favours the idea. 
He possessed all the instincts of that terrible race. He had 
the thirst for adventure, the reckless activity, and the in- 
domitable and unapproachable bravery which distinguished 
the bold rover, who, in the ninth and tenth centuries, ravaged 
the shores of England and France. He has been usually 
represented as an American in heart ; but this was not so, 
for he belonged to no land, no flag, no people. The sea only 
was his country. Wherever glory was to be won, or the ex- 
citement of battle to be braved, there he had his home, the 
66 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 69 

ma.ster-spirit of the hour, riding and controlling the tempest 
of death. 

And jet, in one sense, his fame is the property of the 
United States. He hoisted the first American flag on board 
an American man-of-war. He won the most brilliant naval 
victory in the contest for independence. He contributed 
more than any other individual to establish the reputation 
of the American marine in Europe. Moreover, during the 
period he was in the employment of Congress, he devoted 
" his entire energies to the cause in which he was embarked ; 
and if America had been engaged m other wars in which to 
win renown, and he had been flattered with a high commis- , 
sion, he would never have left her flag. But he could ill 
brook the inactivity that followed the peace of 1783, and, 
when the Empress of Russia ofiered to make him an admiral, 
the tempting bait could not be resisted ; he left the service 
of the United States, and entered that of Catharine. From 
that hour he ceased to belong wholly to American history. 
He fell from the lofty position of a patriot, fighting for the 
cause of liberty and his adopted country, and sank into that 
of a mere adventurer of the seas, whose sword was open to 
every mercenary bidder. His character cannot, therefore, be 
contemplated with that reverence, mingled with admiration, 
with which we regard that of Decatur, and patriots of simi- 
lar exalted stamp. To them it would have been an ijisult 
to propose shedding blood for money. They drew their blades 
for country, not merely for glory or for pay. Paul Jones 
fades away before them into a lower and less glorious orbit, 
where he shines with a lustre that pales before that of his 
more majestic rivals. 

This extraordinary man was the son of a gardener of Ar- 
bigland, in the parish of Kirkbean, and was born, it is be- 
lieved, some time in the month of July, 1747. His paternal 
name was Paul, and his ancestors, until within the preceding 
generation, had lived on the shores of the Frith of Forth, on 



70 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

the eastern coast of Scotland. He received the rudiments of 
an education at the parochial school. His residence being 
in the vicinity of the Solway Frith, a natural inchnation for 
the sea was fostered into a passion. His biographers are 
fond of dwelling on his building mimic ships, and on his ac- 
quisition of nautical knowledge, as prophetic of his career; 
but as similar traits have been displayed by nearly every lad 
brought u]3 in sight of the sea, we attach no significance to 
them. The stubborn resolution he exhibited as a boy, and 
his nervous irritability under restraint, were far more legiti- 
mate evidences of the future naval hero. His partiahty for 
a sailor's life was so evident, however, that at twelve years 
of age, his friends bound him apprentice to a respectable 
merchant of Whitehaven, engaged ' in the American trade. 
His first voyage was to the Rappahannoc, where he met an 
elder brother, Who, having married in Virginia, had settled 
there. In the house of this relative, the youth remained 
during the stay of his ship in port; and here, as he after- 
wards declared, he imbibed his first prepossessions in favour 
of America. During the time he was ^vith his employer, g, 
period of some years, his intelligence and good conduct won 
him the esteem of that individual ; and it is even said that, 
but for the embarrassed condition into which the merchant's 
afiliirs fell, Paul Jones, while yet a minor, would have at> 
tained the command of a vessel. 

His apprenticeship being completed, he entered into the 
African trade, and made several voyages in slavers to and 
from the coast of Guinea. At that period, the voice of the 
civihzed world had not yet been raised in reprobation of this 
detestable traffic ; but no man of refined sensibilities could 
long continue in it without disgust; and Paul Jones, though 
not especially fastidious, appears soon to have become dis- 
satisfied with the pursuit. He now confined himself to a 
more legitimate commerce. This part of his life is compara- 
tively obscure. For several years we almost lose sight of 



JOHN" PAUL JONES. 71 

him, until, in 1773, we find him visiting Virginia, to arrange 
the affairs of his brother, who had died there without leaving 
any family. It is to this period that his assumption of the 
patronymic Jones is assigned. He was so charmed with the 
climate of Virginia, that he resolved to abandon the ocean, 
settle as a planter in the colony, and devote his leisure to 
retirement and study. But he did not understand his own 
nature. His restless soul would soon have spurned the mo- 
notony^of an agricultural life, even if circumstances had not 
arisen to enlist his sympathies in a new direction. The 
American Revolution, then about, to break forth, alike fasci- 
nated him with the grandeur of its sentiments and opened 
before him a path to speedy and dazzling renown ; and, with- 
out hesitation, he promptly joined the insurgents. His con- 
duct in this has been censured by English writers, and during 
the war he was stigmatized as a pirate ; but he was certainly 
not more blamable than Lee, who came to America ex- 
pressly to enlist in the patriot army. He was only taking 
part in a civil war, and hence had a right to select his side. 
The battle of Lexington convinced the people generally 
that a reconciliation between the colonies and mother country 
was impossible ; and accordingly preparations were made for 
carrying on the war actively on the part of the patriots. 
Hostilities had scarcely begun, when several captures of 
British vessels were made, chiefly by privateers commissioned 
in the different States. But towards the close of 1775, 
Congress determined to fit out a national force, to act directly 
under its orders. Instructions were accordingly given for the 
purchase of suitable vessels, and two ships, two brigantines, 
and a sloop obtained. Thirteen frigates were also directed to 
be built. . A list of competent officers was likewise prepared. 
In this catalogue, Paul Jones was placed as senior lieutenant, 
and appointed to the Alfred, of twenty-four guns, his com- 
mission bearing date the 7th of December, 1775. He im- 
mediately repaired on board his charge, then lying in the 



72 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 




HOISTINQ THE AMERICAN FLAG. 



Delaware, and, as his captain had not yet arrived, had the 
honour of hoisting the first flag ever shown on board a na- 
tional armed vessel of the United States. The ensign used 
on this occasion was not the stars and stripes, but one dis- 
playing a rattlesnake, with the motto, " Don't tread on me." 
From this hour, up to the close of the war, the name of Paul 
Jones was foremost among our naval heroes. 

His first service was in an expedition against New Provi- 
dence, one of the Bahama islands, an enterprise undertaken 
by Commodore Hopkins, at the head of a considerable fleet, 
but which only partially succeeded. The forts indeed were 
captured, but the garrison, having received notice of the in- 
vasion, had sent away the powder during the preceding 
night. On the 17th of March, the squadron left New Provi- 
dence, carrying off all the cannon found there. On the 9th 
of April, when ofi" Block island, it fell in with the Glasgow, 
an English frigater. By this time, several of the smaller 
vessels had left the fleet, and a light wind prevented others 



JOHN PAUL. JONES. 73* 

from participating in the action, which was confined princi- 
pally to the Cabot, of fourteen guns, and to the Alfred. The 
Cabot, whose metal was Hght, was soon obliged to sheer off. 
After the contest had raged an hour, the block and wheel - 
rope of the Alfred were shot away, by which the enemy was 
enabled to rake the American ship at pleasure. Satisfied 
that victory was impossible, the English captain, after dehver- 
ing a broadside, availed himself of this accident to escape 
from the squadron. In this action, the Alfred was held at 
bay by a ship of not superior force ; but no imputation rests 
on Jones, who was only second in command. The result of 
this whole expedition was ruinous to the reputation of Com- 
modore Hopkins. On the 6th of October ensuing. Congress 
passed a vote of censure on him for not performing the duties 
on which he had been despatched to the southward ; and in 
the followuig January formally dismissed him from the ser- 
vice. 

Paul Jones, however, did not share in this obloquy. His 
efficient conduct during the expedition was generally ad- 
mitted, and, in reward for it, Hopkins appointed him on the 
10th of May, 1776, to the command of the sloop Providence, 
of twelve guns. With this vessel, Jones cruised, between 
Boston and the Delaware, and even ran as far south as Ber- 
muda. On the 1st of September, while on the latter service, 
he discovered five sail, one of which he mistook for a large 
merchantman ; but on approaching the stranger, she proved to 
be an English frigate, the Solebay. After a chase of four hours, 
in a cross sea, the foe had so far gained on the Providence as 
to be within muskei>shot, on her lee quarter. The frigate 
had long before opened her fire, which Jones now replied to, 
showing his colours. He kept edging away, however, until 
he had gained a position on the lee-bow of the enemy, when 
he suddenly went off dead before a wind, setting every thing 
that would draw. Before the Englishman could get out his 
light sails, the Providence was nearly out of reach of grape, 



74 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

and the latter, sailing the best before the wind, within an 
hour had drawn quite out of reach of shot. Jones now went 
to the eastward, where he took several prizes. Here he was 
chased by the Milford, of thirty-two guns, when discovering 
he could easily outsail her, he kept just out of range for seve- 
ral hours, the enemy, who measured his distance badly, firing 
most of the time. Jones now went upon the coast off Can- 
seau, where he damaged the enemy's fishermen considerably, 
capturing no less than twelve sail. Having now made six- 
teen prizes during his cruise, some of them valuable, he de- 
termined to return to harbour, and accordingly put into 
Newport, on the 7th of October, 1776. He was received 
here with the greatest applause. His success was on every 
tongue ; his bravery and skill were the theme of common 
conversation ; and his affair with the ^lebay, as if not suffi- 
ciently wonderful already, was exaggerated into a running 
fight of several hours' duration. 

As early as the 8th of August, ten days before he sailed 
on the last cruise, Jones had received the commision of cap- 
tain from the President of Congress. He was now practi- 
cally advanced a step higher in rank; for a project was 
formed to despatch a small squadron under his orders to 
Nova Scotia, with the double view of distressing the British 
trade and liberating about one hundred Americans said to 
be confined in the coal-pits of that region. Accordingly 
Jones sailed on the 2d of November, with the Alfred and 
Providence. A few days out, he had the good fortune to 
capture the armed ship Mellish, loaded with supplies for the 
army of Burgoyne, then assembling in Canada. On board 
this vessel, in addition to other articles of value, were ten 
thousand suits of uniform : a supply which reached Washing- 
ton at a moment of the greatest need. Jones captured seve- 
ral other prizes, but, arriving off" the coal-mines, found the 
harbour frozen up. The inclement weather now obliged him 
to seek a port, and on the 15th of December, 1776, he 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 75 



arrived at Boston, having provisions and water for only two 
days remaining. By this successful cruise, Jones flattered 
himself he had earned a right to a superior command ; but 
what was his chagrin to find himself, about a month after- 
wards, superseded by Captain Hinman, an officer entirely 
unknown, and heretofore below him on the list. 

This injustice drew from Jones a letter of remonstrance to 
the marine committee of Congress. " When I entered the 
service," he writes, " I was not actuated by motives of self- 
interest. I stept forth as a free citizen of the world, in de- 
fence of the violated rights of mankind, and not in search of 
riches, whereof, I thank God, I inherit a sufficiency ; but I 
ahould prove my degeneracy were I not in the highest degree 
tenacious of my rank and seniority. As a gentleman, I can 
yield this point up only to persons of superior abilities and 
superior merit; and under such persons it would be my 
hi'ghest ambition to learn. As this is the first time of my 
having expressed the least anxiety on my own account, 1 
must entreat your patience until I account to you for the 
reason which hath given me this freedom of sentiment. It 
seems that Captain Hinman's commission is No. 1, and that, 
in consequence, he who was at first my junior officer by 
eight, hath expressed himself as my senior officer in a manner 
which doth himself no honour, and which doth me signal 
injury. There are also in the navy persons who have not 
shown me fair play after the service I have rendered them. 
I have even been blamed for the civiHties which I haVe shown 
to my prisoners ; at the request of one of whom I herein 
enclose an appeal, which I must beg leave to lay before 
Congress. Could you see the appellant's accomplished lady, 
and the innocents their children, arguments in their behalf 
would be unnecessary. As the base-minded only are capable 
of iriconsistencies, you will not blame my free soul, which 
can never stoop where I cannot also esteem. Could I, which 
I never can, bear to be superseded, I should indeed deserve 



76 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

yoHr contempt and total neglect. I am, therefore, to entreat 
you to employ me in the most enterprising and active ser- 
vice, — accountable to your honourable board only for' my 
conduct, and connected as much as possible with gentlemen 
and men of good sense." 

This appeal did not go unanswered. Sensible of his ex- 
alted merits. Congress resolved to employ him in an expedi- 
tion against Pensacola and other places, with the Alfred, 
Columbus, Cabot, Hampden, and Providence", but the enter- 
prise was subsequently abandoned, chiefly in consequence of 
the jealousy of Hopkins, and his refusal to co-operate wijth 
Jones. On this, Jones visited Philadelphia to remonstrate 
with Congress. He here discovered that his degradation ha'(i 
not been intentional. A new regulation had been made, and, 
partly' to quiet local jealousies, partly from other inevitable 
causes, thirteen officers had been placed over the head of 
Jones. The commander-in-chief had, by this time, beeirde- 
posed, so that one cause of complaint was removed. The 
marine committee now offered to purchase three ships in the 
eastern department, and to give Jones the choice of them to 
command. This conciliated him, and he returned to Boston. 
But before the plan could be carried into execution. Congress, 
on the 9th of May, 1777, directed him to proceed to France, 
in the Ranger, of eighteen guns, with an order to the com- 
missioners in Paris to procure him a frigate, as a reward for 
his services. Accordingly, in November, he left America, 
carrying out despatches of the victory at Saratoga. 

We are now about to enter on a period of his career, which, 
however brilliant his deeds had been before, was destined far 
to outshine them. This is the proper occasion to pause and 
review his character as already developed. His almost in- 
variable success, frequently against the greatest odds, had 
shown not less his courage than the vast resources of his mind. 
He had exhibited indeed a genius for naval warfare such as 
few men of his age had displayed, a genius which recalled 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 77 

the days of Ibberville, of Blake, and of the immortal Trump. 
But with this wonderful ability was united an equal vanity. 
It cannot be said that he claimed more than his due, but he 
never claimed less ; and his manner of urging his demands 
frequently wore the appearance of excessive self-conceit. 
His future career exhibited his characteristic foible in even a 
stronger light. He continually employed expressions, in re- 
ference to himself, which nothing but his dauntless courage 
and extraordinary skill could have excused. It is said that 
true merit is modest, but Jones was an exception. In this 
particular he resembled Nelson. These two great men were 
both equally boastful, and both in violation of a rule gene- 
rally conceded. But the same sentiment which led Jones to 
dweU upon his achievements, also impelled him, we must re- 
member, to undertake others. 

It had been intended to bestow on him the command of 
the Indian, a frigate building in Holland for the United 
States ; but, from motives of policy, this superb vessel was 
presented to the king of France. Jones accordingly con- 
tinued in command of the Ranger. His first task was to 
convoy some merchant ships to Quiberon Bay, where he re- 
ceived from the French commander a salute, the first ever 
given to the flag of America. He next undertook an expe- 
dition against the coasts, of Great Britain. In popular history, 
Jones is regarded as the fil'st to harass the English govern- 
ment in this way ; but Captains Conyngham and Wickes, in 
the Revenge and Reprisal, had both preceded him. Of the 
cruise of Wickes, undertaken in 1777, Silas Deane observes 
in one of his letters to Robert Morris, that it " effectually 
alarmed England, prevented the great fair at Chester, occa- 
sioned insurance to rise, and even deterred the English mer- 
chants from shipping goods in English bottoms, at any rate, 
so that, in a few weeks, forty sail of French ships were load- 
ing in the Thames on freight, an instance never before 
known." Of Conyngham, he wr^te in similar terms, " In a 



78 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

word, by his first and second bold expeditions, he is become 
the terror of all the eastern coast of England and Scotland, 
and is more dreaded than Thurot was in the late war." In- 
surance, in consequence, rose as high as twenty-five per cent, 
on long voyages, and there was a short period during which 
ten per cent, was asked between Dover and Calais, a distance 
of only seven leagues. But this season of alarm had died 
away with the departure of Wickes and Conjmgham. It wa» 
reserved for Jones to rekindle this terror anew, and to carry 
it to a height it had never before attained. 

As France and Great Britain still continued nominally at 
peace, it was necessary for Jones to use as much secrecy as 
possible in fitting out. On the 10th of April, 1778, he sailed 
from Brest, and, entering the Irish channel, took several 
prizes. Finding himself opposite Whitehaven, he conceived 
the bold design of burning the colliers in that port, and would 
have succeeded if a strong adverse tide had not prevented his 
reaching the harbour before daylight. He now ran up the 
coast of Scotland, as high as Glentive Bay, where he chased 
a revenue cutter without success. Crossing to the Irish shore, 
he learned from some fishermen that Captain Burden, with 
the sloop-of-war Drake, a vessel about the size of the Ran- 
ger, was anchored in the roads of Carrickfergus. He imme- 
diately adopted the resolution to run in and capture her. 
He accordingly entered the port tliat night, but, through some 
mistake, the anchor was not let go in season, and the Ran- 
ger, instead of taking up her expected position, drifted on 
the quarter of the Drake, half a cable's length distant. Per- 
ceiving that his object was defeated, Jones cut his cable, and 
drifted astern, then made sail, and hauled by the wind as 
soon as possible. The breeze, which had been fresh all the 
afternoon, now increased to a gale, and it was with some diffi- 
culty that the Ranger could weather the land and regain the 
• channel. 

Jones now stood over ^ the English coast, and renewed 



JOHN PAUL JONES. ^ 79 

liis aitempt on Whitehaven. Landing in the night, with his 
crew divided into two parties, he surprised the fort, spiked 
the guns, and set fire to the shipping. Before, however, the 
conflagration had spread far, the alarm was given in the 
town, and the inhabitants rallying in overwhelming numbers, 
it was with much difficulty that Jones escaped. He drew 
ofi" his men in safety nevertheless. The flames were extin- 
guished before much damage had been done. He now made 
an attempt to seize the Earl of Selkirk, and hold him as a 
hostage, believing that thus better treatment might be secured 
to American prisoners in England. The earl having a seat 
at St. Mary's isle, near where the Dee flows into the Irish 
channel, rendered the scheme practicable. A party landed, 
and the mansion was seized. But the earl being absent, the 
expedition returned without success. During the day, how- 
ever, the men had carried off some of the earl's plate. This 
act of plunder annoyed Jones excessively, as it ajDpeared to 
countenance the popular rumour in Great Britain which re- 
garded him as a pirate. Purchasing the plate from his 
crew, he restored it to Lady Selkirk, an act of consideration 
which drew from her husband a grateful testimony to the 
character of Jones. 

On the following day, Jones encountered the Drake, which 
he had left in Carrickfergus harbour, and, after a running 
fight of an hour, captured her. The English ship was 
heavier than the Ranger, and carried more men : this, added 
to her being taken within sight of her native coast, caused 
the victory to be considered peculiarly brilliant. Li the 
action, the Drake lost forty men, besides her captain and 
lieutenant, who were mortally wounded, while the Ranger 
had but two killed and six wounded ; a difference so vast as 
to imply great superiority in the fire of the Americans. 
Jones now went round the north of Ireland, and, though fre- 
quently chased, arrived safely at Brest, after an absence of 
only twenty-eight days. But in this short interval he had 



80 • JOHN PAUL JONES. 

made his name a terror to the coasts of England, alarmed 
the merchants, raised again the price of insurance, and in- 
duced the government to send out numerous ships to capture 
him. ^ On his arrival in France, he was hailed with general 
applause. The dashing gallantry he had exhibited was par- 
ticularly calculated to make him popular with that high- 
spirited people. The court, now on the eve of declaring war 
with Great Britain, was delighted; the American commis- 
sioners showered compliments upon him ; and, for once, the 
exacting nature of Jones was surfeited with renown. 

But vexations soon came to alloy his pleasure. His bills 
on the commissioners were protested for want of funds, and 
he was distressed for means to support his crew and prison- 
ers. In the first flush of their exultation, the Fi-ench court 
had conceived the idea of emjDloying him in a vessel of their 
own, and had even held out to him hopes of a squadron ; but 
when war came to be declared, the necessity of providing for 
their own officers frustrated these views. Jones chafed 
under his disappointments, and, with little of the tact of a 
courtier, wearied the minister by reminding him of his pro- 
mise. His anger and impatience eventually rose beyond 
control : " M. de Sartine," he wrote, " may think as he 
pleases, but Congress will not thank him for having thus 
treated an officer who has always been honoured with their 
friendship and favour." At last, after ten months of vexa- 
tious delay, after ten* months of precious time wasted by the 
indolence of the French government, a ship was procured for 
Jones, the Due de Duras. This vessel was clumsily* con- 
structed, having been built many years before, and had one 
of those high, old-fashioned poops still seen in naval pictures 
of the earher half of thte century. She was now manned 
with an armament of forty-two guns, most of them light, so 
that she could not fairly be rated at more than a thirty-six. 
In comphment to Franklin, Jones called her the Bon Homme 
Richard. With a motley crew of aJl nations, for it was im- 



JOHN PAUL JONES. - 81 

possible to procure sufficient Americans, Jones on the 19th 
of June, 1779, sailed on his memorable cruise in this vessel, 
accompanied by a squadron, consisting of the Alliance frigate, 
the Pallas, the Vengeance brig, and the Cerf, a fine cutter. 
It had been originally intended that the expedition should 
make a descent on Liverpool, and for that purpose Jones 
was to have been accompanied by Lafayette at the head of 
a body of troops; but the French court finally abandoned 
the scheme in favour of the illusive one of a grand invasion, 
which never occurred, and hence Jones was left to proceed 
alone. 

This cruise, destined to make the name of the commander 
immortal, began inauspiciously. The Alliance, the second 
ship in the squadron, was commanded by Captain Landais, 
who shared in the jealousy entertained of Jones by the in- 
ferior officers of the French navy ; and, while lying to, off 
the coast, by palpable mismanagement, or as others supposed 
intentionally, he ran into the Bon Homme Richard, injuring 
both ships to such a degree that they were compelled to re- 
turn to port to refit. While in harbour, a cartel arrived 
from England, bringing more than a hundred exchanged 
American seamen, most of whom enlisted on board the 
Richard. On the 14th of August, the squadron sailed a 
second time. The different vessels soon became separated 
however, so that, by the 27th, the Vengeance was the only 
one in company with the commodore. On the 31st, off Cape 
North, Jones captured a letter-of-marque, bound from London 
to Quebec ; a proof of the terror he had mspired, as this ves- 
sel had gone north about to avoid the usual track. The 
Alliance now rejoined the squadron. But the presence of 
Captain Landais proved of Httle service to Jones. That offi- 
cer, from this period, exhibited a mutinous spirit, contending 
'that, as his ship was the only really American one, in the 
squadron, he was superior to the orders of the commodore, 
and could act as he pleased. In consequence, the control of 



82 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

Jones over this, the most efficient ship of the fleet, almost 
entirely ceased. 

Meantime, the squadron continued its course around Scot- 
land, the vessels separating and joining constantly. At last, 
when off Leith, Jones, understanding that a twenty-gun ship, 
with two or three cutters, was in that harbour, planned a 
descent upon them ; but the absence of the Alliance, Pallas, 
and Vengeance forced him to delay until those ships could 
join; and when that occurred, a squall arose just at the crisis 
of landing, and by driving the squadron to sea for safety, lost 
the golden opportunity. Another scheme, even more daring, 
was now projected ; but it was afterwards laid aside as be- 
yond their means to execute. Proceeding southwardly, cap- 
turing numerous prizes, the squadron reached the mouth of 
the Humber. Here, Jones learned from some pilots, that 
the whole coast was in a state of alarm. Persons were bury- 
ing their plate ; troops were being collected to resist a de- 
scent ; and even expresses with intelligence of the fleet had 
been despatched to London. The numbers of the squadron 
were exaggerated, and their intentions declared to be j^irati- 
cal. Never since the era of the Danes had any fleet struck 
such fear to the hearts of the people. Standing out towards 
Flamborough Head, on the 23d of September, Jones, in the 
Richard, joined the Alliance and Pallas; and soon after, 
about forty sail, convoyed by the Serapis forty-four, and the 
Countess of Scarborough twenty-two, were seen stretching 
out on a bowline from behind the promontory. The com- 
modore immediately gave the signal for a chase, and crossed 
royal yards on board his ship. At these signs of hostility, 
the nearest English merchantmen hurriedly backed, fired 
alarm guns, let fly their top-gallant sheets, and sought the 
shelter of the land ; while the men-of-war hauled boldly out 
to sea, until far enough to windward, when, changing their 
course, they stood in shore, to cover the convoy. The battle, 
thus significantly invited, Jones did not decline. 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 83 

Accordingly he kept the signal to form the line aboard, 
intending to advance with the Pallas in the front, the Richard 
second, and the Alliance in the rear. The latter ship, how- 
ever, stood on, disregarding this "order, and being the swiftest 
in the squadron, soon ran down near enough to discern the 
enemy's force ; but, discovering the size of the Serapis, trea- 
cherously hauled up and abandoned the Richard to her fate. 
Perceiving the flight of Landais, the Pallas, mistaking it for 
a general retreat, also drew off; the approaching darkness 
assisting the mistake. The action was accordingly left to be 
maintained by Jones alone. His indomitable spirit, instead 
of sinking, rose with the emergency. He beat to quarters 
promptly, and his crew, inspired by his bearing, rushed with 
loud cheers to the guns. Darkness had now fallen. It was 
only by a night-glass that the course of the enemy could be 
followed. At length, about half past seven, the Richard 
came up with the Serapis, the Scarborough being a short dis- 
tance to leeward. The American frigate was to windward. 
As the two ships approached each other, an anxious silence 
prevailed on the decks, and each crew eagerly watched the 
motions of the other by the red glare of the battle-lanterns. 
The captain of the Serapis was the first to hail. The answer 
was equivocal, and given by Jones; when simultaneously 
the broadsides of both vessels were discharged. Unfortu- 
nately for the Americans, two of the six eighteens that were 
in the gun-room of the Richard exploded, blowing up the 
deck above, and killing and maiming many who were below. 
For an instant terror seized all on board. But the stern 
voice of the commodore, and the exertions of his first lieu- 
tenant Dale, soon dissipated the panic, and the men resumed 
the battle, calling on each other with loud cries to avenge 
their fallen comrades. 

By this accident, the batteries of the Richard were reduced 
to twelve pounders. The Serapis carried eighteens on her 
whole lower deck, which rendered her for the rest of the 



84 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

combat nearly double the strength of the Richard. Never- 
theless the combat was maintained by the latter without a 
moment's pause, her crew making up • for their deficiency in 
guns by their rapid and ufierring aim. The two frigates 
continued to manoeuvre, passing and repassing each other, 
the Serapis, on the whole, having the advantage of position, 
as she sailed the best. At last, when the fight had raged 
about an hour, they ran afoul. For an instant after the 
crash, there was a cessation of the firing. Captain Pearson 
of the Serapis, misled by his enemy's silence, demanded if the 
Richard had struck. " I have not begun to fight yet," was 
the memorable reply of Jones. The ships now separated, 
and the Serapis, wearing short around, endeavoured to lufi" 
up athwart the bow of the Richard, in order to rake her ; 
but Jones, convinced that in a regular combat his adversary's 
metal was too heavy for him, determined to lay the English- 
man athwart hawse. In consequence of the smoke, however, 
he miscalculated his distance, and the two vessels came foul 
again, the bowsprit of the Serapis passing over the bow of 
the Richard. With his own hands, the commodore now 
lashed the head-gear of the enemy to his mizzen-mast; and 
the frigates fell close alongside of each other, head and stern. 
Captain Pearson, anxious to be free, at this dropped his an- 
chor, hoping that the Richard would drift clear; but the 
yards were already interlocked, and lashings were ♦speedily 
added by the Americans fore and aft. He next made an 
attempt to board, but was repulsed with loss. Meantime, 
the lower ports of the Serapis, which had been closed to pre- 
vent boarding, were now blown off, that the guns might be 
run out ; and a murderous fire opened from the eigh teens. 
So fearful was the proximity of the two ships, that it Avas 
frequently necessary to thrust the rammer into the port of 
the opposite vessel, in order to enter it in the gun. The 
lower deck of the Richard was soon cleared by this tremen- 
dous fire J and the sides were beaten in, so that the balls 



< 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 87 

frequently j)assed through the gaps without touching. Un- 
able to maintain the fight below, the Americans, retreating 
to the •upper deck, gathered under the shelter-of the fore- 
castle, and continued the combat by throwing grenades and 
firing muskets. 

The mo6n had now risen. The neighbouring shore was 
crowded with spectators, gazing anxiously on the scene. 
The Pallas, having returned to the combat, had gallantly at- 
tacked the Scarborough, and kept her from interfering. In 
the distance the Alliance hovered, like some ominous bird of 
prey, waiting to pounce on the weakest. Meantime the 
grenades and musketry of the Americans had nearly cleared 
the upper decks of the Serapis ; while, by great efibrts, the 
commodore had dragged a gun over from the larboard side, 
increasing his battery on the quarter-deck to three pieces. 
But he could not, with all his exertions, muster sufficient 
force to shift a second cannon. Some of the Richard's 
crew now lay out on her main-yard, and one, boldly taking 
his station on the extreme end of the spar, dropped a grenade 
do|^ii. the enemy's main-hatchway. The missile ignited some 
loose powder; this communicated to a line of cartridges, 
laid along the main-deck from gun to gun, and an awful ex- 
plosion, extending the whole length of the ship aft, ensued. 
For some moments, the roar of battle was drowned by screams 
of agony. More than twenty men were killed, and thirty- 
eight wounded ; while five or six of the aftermost guns were 
disabled. A frightful scene of panic ensued. The main- 
deck was filled with smoke, so that no one knew for some 
time the*real extent of the damage ; while the shrieks of the 
wounded and the cries of the crew added to the general 
terror. This consternation was increased by the Americans, 
who poured grape and canister on the enemy's decks, and 
prevented his ascending from the scene of horror. In the 
fury of the strife, both ships caught fire, and soon the roar 
of conflagration smote the ears of the combatants. But this 



88 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

•lid not stop the fight. While one portion of each crew de- 
voted themselves to checking the flames, the' other portion 
maintained the conflict with unabated rage. 

Meanwhile Landais, who had been stretching off and on, 
watching the struggle, and occasionally firing, as much to the 
damage of the Richard as of the Serapis, now perceiving that 
the Scarborough had been captured by the Pallas, sullenly 
approached the scene. Captain Cottineau, of the Pallas, 
hailed the Frenchman, earnestly entreating him to take 
possession of the prize, so that the Pallas might assist the 
Richard; but Landais, after some hesitation, concluded to 
take this duty on himself, and making two long stretches 
under his topsails, slowly approached his consort Whether 
from accident or intention, however, his fire proved as in- 
jurious to the Richard as to the Serapis, killing several 
of the former's men, and dismounting two of the guns. In 
vain the crew of the Richard hailed the Alliance, in vain 
the signal for a night action was shown; Captain Landais 
continued to fire, edging nearer and nearer, until he was 
abeam. The commodore now indignantly ordered diiiti to 
lay the enemy aboard; and a question being put whether 
the command was understood, a reply was received in the 
affirmative. The Alliance on this hauled off, but soon after 
came down again, and crossing the bows of the Richard and 
stern of the Serapis, delivered grape as she passed, firing for 
part of the time, it is affirmed, in such a way that the shot 
ct5uld only reach the Englishman through his antagonist. 
After this infamous proceeding, Landais ran to leeward, 
where, for the remainder of the contest, he contented himself 
with standing off and on. 

The Alliance had scarcely delivered her* last broadside, 
when a cry arose that the Richard Avas sinking. The car- 
penter, whose duty it was to sound the pump-wells, confirmed 
the alarming intelligence. The frigate had received so 
many shot-holes, that the water was now pouring into her 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 89 

sides ; and, as she settled, other shot^holes were exposed to 
the sea, increasing the peril. Consternation immediately 
spread through the ship. In the panic, the master-at-arms 
liberated the English prisoners, of whom there were about 
one hundred on board ; and one of these, passing through a 
port of the Richard into one of the Serapis, informed Captain 
Pearson that the Americans must either surrender soon, or 
sink. Meantime, the gunner of the Richard, rushing on 
deck, ran up the poop in order to haul down the colours ; but 
finding the flag-staff shot away, and the ensign hanging in 
the water, he could only make known his wishes by calling 
out for quarter. All would have been lost in another mo- 
ment, if the commodore had not made his appearance. Cry- 
ing out that the day was still with the Richard, he sprang 
to the gunwale, attended by a few faithful followers, there 
to repel the boarders of the Serapis, who, at this favourable 
turn of affairs, were crowding with loud shouts to secure their 
reported victory. At the presence of their leader, new 
vigour infused itself into the Americans. Replying with 
cheers to the shouts of the boarders, they repelled the latter 
from the decks of the Richard, and, following up their suc- 
cess, drove them again with grenades and musketry below. 
Meanwhile Dale, who had no longer a single gun that could 
be fought, "mustered the prisoners at the ]3umps, vociferating 
that their own lives, as well as those of the crew, depended 
on their activity: and the terrified Englishmen, expecting 
every instant to be engulfed, were glad to obey the com- 
mands of any one who held out a prospect of safety. 

Scarcely, however, had this danger been met, when a cry 
of fire again arose on board the Richard. It was replied to 
by an alarm of the same character from the Serapis ; while 
smoke issued in dense columns up the hatchways of both 
vessels. At this appalling sight, the two crews, simultane- 
ously abandoning their guns, addressed themselves to the 
task of quenchmg the flames. The fire on board the Richard 



90 JOHN" PAUL JONES. ^ 

was still but partially subdued, when the commodore brought 
two nine-pounders to bear on the Serapis, and renewed the 
fight with desperate resolution, double-shotting his guns, and 
aiming altogether at the mainmast of the foe. By this time, 
the whole side of the Kichard abaft was beaten in, and the 
poop and upper deck was in momentary peril of falling into 
the gun-room. Several of the officers now entreated Jones to 
surrender. Still resolute to conquer, yet conscious from this 
that every thing depended on himself, Jones passed among 
his men, encouraging them to persevere. Nor was it in vain. 
With loud shouts they continued the fray. The fire of the 
Serapis, which had been partially renewed, soon began to 
slacken; her mainmast was tottering; and her crew were 
driven below to a man. The cheers of the Americans now 
rose louder and bolder; while those of the British grew 
fainter, and finally sank away entirely. At last, through 
the smoke which almost shrouded her from sight, the form 
of a man was seen rushing up the gangway of the Serapis, 
and immediately afterwards the colours of the enemy, which 
up to this moment had floated from her poop, sank to the 
decks. At this spectacle, repeated huzzas broke from every 
part of the American frigate. Dale immediately took pos- 
session of the captured ship, passing her officers on board the 
Richard. 

Thus terminated what is perhr^s the most bloody and 
protracted battle between single frigates on record. During 
the progress of it, the Serapis had been on fire no less than 
twelve times ; while the Eichard, for the last hour of the 
struggle, had been burning continually. The flames, still 
raging, had now spread within the ceiling, and menaced the 
magazine; and in order to prevent an explosion, it was 
necessary to bring th^ powder on deck. The ship was sink- 
ing all this while. With every effort at the pumps, the 
water could not be kept at the same level, until fresh hands 
were obtained from the other vessels of the squadron. In 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 91 

the mean time, however, the cable of the Serapis had been 
cut, and the Richard and her prize drew slowly away from 
the vicinity of the land ; but as soon as the lashings were 
separated, which had united the two frigates, the mainmast 
of the Englishman fell, bringing with it the mizzen-top-mast. 
The night was spent in anxiety on board the Richard. With 
the earliest dawn, an examination was made into her con- 
dition, when she was found to be so much shattered as to 
render it perilous to attempt carrjring her into port. Ac- 
cordingly, but with a heavy heart, for it was painful to part 
with the ship in which he had gained his victory, the com- 
modore gave orders to transfer the wounded from her. This 
had scarcely been effected, when about nine o'clock, the offi- 
cer in charge, finding the water had reached her lower decks, 
reluctantly withdrew his men from the pumps, and aban- 
doned her to her fate. About ten she lurched heavily, 
gave a roll, and settled slowly into the sea, bows foremost. 
The agitation of the surface where she had disappeared now 
subsided ; the waves rolled quietly on, and not a vestige was 
left to mark where the gallant ship had sunk. 

In this terrible action, the Serapis lost about one hundred 
and fifty men,, and the Richard probably an equal number ; 
for the amount of the dead and wounded on either ship was 
never accurately known. The loss would have been even 
greater, if the men of the Serapis had not early been driven 
below, and those of the Richard forced under cover. The 
English frigate sufiered less than her adversary, the guns of 
the latter being light, as we have seen, and soon silenced. 
After the action, jury-masts were rigged on the Serapis, and 
she drove about nearly helpless in the North Sea, until the 
6th of October, when the remains of the squadron, with the 
two prizes, made the Texel. The arrival of Paul Jones here 
created an intense excitement. The populace regarded him 
as a hero. But the British ambassador demanded that his 
prisoners should be released, and that he should be treated 



92 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

as a pirate ; and the Dutch government, though secretly in 
favour of the Americans, not being prepared for war, com- 
promised the matter. They advised that the Serapis and 
Scarborough should be transferred to France, and ordered 
Jones, who had succeeded to the command of the Alliance, 
Landais having been suspended for his behaviour in the bat- 
tle, to quit the country. The commodore put to sea accord- 
ingly on the 27th of December, and having run the gauntlet 
of the channel fleet, boldly looking into the Downs as he 
passed, and made a short cruise in the Bay of Biscay, arrived 
at Groix on the 10th of February, 1780. 

Jones now visited Paris, where he was received by both 
court and people, with the enthusiasm characteristic of the 
French. He was caressed and feasted everywhere ; and for 
a time became the lion of Versailles. The king presented 
him with a sword, in a golden scabbard richly chased, with 
the honourable inscription, " Vindkati maris Ludovicus XVI. 
remunerator strenuo vindicL" At the same time leave was 
requested of Congress to invest him with the military Order 
of Merit, an honour never before conferred on any one who 
had not borne arms under a French commission. Jones was 
of a nature to be extravagantly pleased with these testimo- 
nials, and they became the boast of his future life. He en- 
deavoured to take advantage of his favour to obtain the 
command of the Serapis, on which his ambition had been 
fixed ever since her capture ; but he did not succeed. The 
Alliance meantime had been restored to Landais, partly 
through a cabal, and partly through a mutiny of her crew, 
and had sailed for America. At last Jones received the 
Ariel frigate, and departed for America, where he arrived on 
the 18th of February, 1781. During the voyage he fell in 
with a British ship of twenty guns, which he captured after 
a sharp action of ten minutes ; but the enemy, finding him- 
self on the weather-bow of the Ariel, suddenly set all sail, 
and escaped by his superior swiftness. 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 93 

He found, on his arrival in Philadelphia, that Landais.had 
been tried, and dismissed the service for ever. He was him- 
self subjected to an inquiry, in reference, as well to his diffi- 
Qulty with that officer, as to the detention of some army 
stores which came in the Ariel, but the verdict not only ex- 
cused him, but was highly flattering. Congress returned him 
thanks for his bravery in the action with the Serapis, and 
bestowed on him the command of the America, a fine vessel 

. still on the stocks. But, before she was completed, a French 
seventy-four being lost in Boston harbour. Congress gave the 
America to her ally. Thus fate, which had cheated him of 
the Indian in a somewhat similar case, again perversely in- 
terfered. He bore his disappointment, however, with pru- 
dence, if not with patriotism ; a conduct which elicited the 
compliments of the American mmister of marine. Impatient 
of inactivity, he solicited and obtained from Congress leave 
to serve on board the French fleet, then cruising in the 
American waters. During this period he was in the con- 
stant receipt of letters complimenting his career ; and among 
his correspondents of this character were Lafayette and John 
'Adams. Peace, however, soon destroyed his further prospects 
of distinction. He now visited Europe as agent for prize- 
money, led partly by interest, for large arrearages were still 
due to him there. In Paris, where he spent most of his time, 
he devoted his leisure to projecting vast enterprises, which 

,it was impossible to have carried into execution, and in ex- 
changing flatteries with distinguished personages, a pursuit 
of which he never tired. After a residence of three years in 
Europe, chiefly spent among the fashionable society of Paris, 
he returned to America in the summer of 1787. Shortly 
after his arrival, he received a new proof of the estimation 
with which he was regarded by the American Congress, 
in the presentation of a gold medal to him, commemora- 
tive of his action with the Serapis. He was also furnished 
with a letter from Congress to the French monarch, and 



94 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

with this testimonial, he embarked again for Europe, never 
to return. 

On his arrival in Paris, Jones learned that the American 
minister, Jefferson, in a conversation with the Russian am- 
bassador, had proposed him for the command of the Russian 
fleet in the Black Sea, and that the suggestion had been 
favourably received. Dazzled by the hope of so great an ad- 
vancement, he immediately started for Copenhagen, ostensi- 
bly to forward some pending negotiations there respecting 
prize-money, but in reality to draw nearer to St. Petersburg. 
In order to facilitate his negotiations witli the Russian court, 
he suggested to Jefferson that Congress should confer on him 
the rank of rear-admiral. Impatient of delay, however, he 
suddenly left Copenhagen, and arriving at Greshelham in 
Sweden, set sail from thence in an open boat, though the 
Baltic was full of ice. After almost incredible peril, in four 
days he landed at Revel in Livonia. On his arrival at St. 
Petersburg, he was graciously received by the empress ; all 
difficulties vanished ; and he was immediately raised to the 
post of rear-admiral. The great nobles of the court and the 
most distinguished foreign residents vied with each other in 
their attentions to him ; and, for a fortnight, he lived in a 
bewildering dream of flattery. To a nature like his, it is not 
wonderful that America was almost forgotten under these 
circumstances, or that, dazzled by the distinction of the 
court, he could see nothing but the glory of the empress. 
Accordingly he wrote to Lafayette, " What are you about, 
my dear general ? are you so absorbed in politics as to be 
insensible to glory? That is impossible. Quit then your 
divine Calypso, come here and pay your court to Bellona, 
who, I am sure, will receive you as her favourite. You 
would be charmed with Prince Potemkin. He is a most 
amiable man, and none can be more noble-minded. For the 
empress, fame has never yet done her justice. I am sure 
that no stranger .who has not known that illustrious charac- 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 



95 




BURNING OP THE CAPITAN PACELi'S QAICET. 



ter, ever conceived how much her majesty is made to reign 
over a great empire, to make people happy, and to attach 
grateful and susceptible minds." 

This delusive dream did not, however, continue long. 
Jones began his journey to the Black Sea on the 7th of 
May, 1788. Here he found Prince-marshal Potemkin in 
command, of the troops destined to act against Ocjakow, and 
the Prince of Nassau, with whom Jones was not on favour- 
able terms, at the head of 'the flotilla. Potemkin at first 
received him graciously, but Jones, even before hoisting his 
flag as rear-admiral, discovered that most of the inferior offi- 
cers, jealous of his expected glory, had entered into a cabal 
against him. The intrigues of these envious spirits continued 
through the whole campaign. Jones was not the person to 
conciliate such enemies, and the result was that he became 
their victim. He distinguished himself with his usual 
* bravery in the campaign, particultyrly in the capture, off 
Ocjakow, of the capitan pacha's galley. But it would be 



96 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

foreign to our purpose to dwell at length upon his achieve- 
ments in the Black Sea, our plan confining us to such actions 
as were performed in the service of America. Before the 
close of the campaign, however, the machinations of his 
enemies had so alienated from him the countenance of Po- 
temkin, that the prince-marshal himself procured from St. 
Petersburg an order for his recall, on the 18th of October. 
He accordingly started for the capital, indignant at his treatr 
ment, but still not without hopes of being reinstated, or at 
least employed in some other quarter. 

He was received at first with considerable distinction, and 
the order of St. Anne was conferred on him by the empress. 
But suddenly, wdiile still importuning for employment, a 
horrible charge was made against him, wdiich, for a time, ba- 
nished him from the court, and excluded him from society 
itself He was accused of the violation of a young girl, the 
witnesses being the victim and her mother. At this crisis, 
the Count Segur, then in St. Petersburg, came to his assist- 
ance, and, by his aid, the charge was proved to be a base 
conspiracy, though hy whom instigated was never known. 
Jones always maintained that it was a plot of the British 
government, which had never ceased to stigmatize him as a 
pirate, and which now sought to procure his dismissal from 
the' Russian service; and recent English writers have ad- 
mitted that the influence of the British ambassador was 
exerted perseveringly to obtain his banishment; but it is 
probable that the plot was either the work of some of the 
Russian officers, or a mere scheme of the girl and her mo- 
ther to extort money. The exculpation of Jones was ren- 
dered so clear that the empress could not refuse to admit 
his innocence ; but he was not restored to favour, and only 
admitted to an audience, on his departure from Russia on a 
leave of absence for two years. His friend Count Segur says 
that he retired of his own accord, in disgust at his treatment ; 
but the evidence favours the belief that he was secretly 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 97 

directed to remove elsewhere, at least for a while. In leav- 
ing Russia, he indulged in his journal, after an exculpation 
of his pretended crime, in the following extravagant, but, 
under the circumstances, almost excusable self-eulogium : 
" In short, my conduct has obtained for me the returns most 
grateful to my heart. I have had the hapj^iness to give uni- 
versal satisfaction to two great and enlightened nations which 
I have served. Of this I have received singular proofs. I 
am the only man in the world that possesses a sword given 
by the King of France. It is to me a glorious distinction to 
wear it ; and above all, to have received it as a proof of the 
particular esteem of a monarch so august, — a monarch who 
has declared himself the protector of the rights of the human 
race, and who adds to this glorious title that of citizen ! I 
have indelible proofs of the high consideration of the United 
States ; but what completes my happiness is the esteem and 
friendship of the most virtuous of men, whose fame will be 
immortal ; and that a Washington, a Franklin, a D'Estaing, 
a La Fayette, think the bust of Paul Jones worthy of being 
placed side by side with their own." 

On his route to Paris he stopped at Warsaw, where he 
met Kosciusko. In consequence of this acquaintance, a cor- 
respondence subsequently ensued between the Polish patriot 
and Paul Jones, it being the desire of the former to engage 
the latter in the schemes then on foot, and soon after at- 
tempted to be carried into execution, for the entire redemp- 
tion of Poland. But Jones, still cherishing the hope of being 
recalled to Russia, refused to listen to these overtures. His 
eyes, however, ought soon to have been opened to the fact 
that he had been virtifally dismissed ; for, though he wrote 
for arrearages of pay, he never obtained any. He appears, at 
this time, to have suffered from poverty, and occasionally spoke 
of recruiting his fortunes by marrying a rich wife. The hope 
of being reinstated in the Russian service still haunted him, 
however, though the illness which led to his death was al- 



98 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

ready upon him; and he spent his time in writing vain 
letters to Potemkin and the empress. It is melancholy to 
contemplate a spirit, in many respects so noble, thus abjectly 
demeaning itself for the sake of honours, if not emoluments. 
Three years passed, spent mostly in Holland or in Paris, his 
expectations gradually fading, until at last they perished 
completely. Chagrin finally undermined his health, and on 
the 18th of July, 1792, he died in the French capital, of 
dropsy. His last days were not entirely unsoothed, however, 
for though no near connections watched beside his pillow, 
the hand of friendship wiped his clammy brow and reverently 
closed his eyes. The National Assembly honoured his fune- 
ral obsequies by sending a deputation from their body to 
attend them. 

The character of Paul Jones presents a singular compound. 
The acuteness of his intellect and the impetuosity of his 
temper were continually coming into collision, giving to his 
conduct an appearance of vacillation, and sometimes, as in 
the case of Potemkin, leading him to atone, by the meanest 
subserviency, for his hasty behaviour. He was avaricious 
of money. In his profession he was a strict disciplinarian. 
He loved glory, but he loved its trappings more. He called 
himself, in the cant of the day, a citizen of the world. He 
wrote well, at least on naval subjects ; but his letters, espe- 
cially those of gallantry, were too inflated. He never mar- 
ried. He is said to have formed an attachment for an Ameri- 
can lady about the commencement of the war, which, termi- 
nating unfortunately, induced him to make a vow to remain 
single; but he appears, some years afterwards, to have en- 
tertained more than one passion, and, at a later day, to have 
contemjplated matrimony as a relief from pecuniary embar- 
rassments. He did not die impoverished, however, but left 
about six thousand dollars, besides some lands in America, 
to his two sisters and their children. His conduct to these 
sisters, throughout his whole career, developed one of the 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 99 

best traits of his character. He frequently corresponded 
with them, and always in terms of sincere affection. 

In manners, Paul Jones was a little stiff, somewhat con- 
ceited, and fond of imitating the airs of a gallant. He was 
scrupulously neat in dress. In person he was about the mid- 
dle size, and slightly made. In his younger days, he was 
remarkably agile, and capable of enduring great fatigue ; but 
his fiery spirit gradually chafed away the tenement which 
enshrined it, until, in his later years, he was almost con- 
stantly ill. His complexion was dark, as were his hair and 
eyes. Promptitude and decision were imprinted, on every 
line of his countenance. 



8 




MENDING SAILS. 



ALEXANDER MURRAY. 



It was the peculiar merit of Commodore Murray, and one 
which few divided Avith him, that he united the highest 
firmness and resokition to a remarkable mildness and suavity 
of temj)er. He was a man who was universally beloved. 
Affable to his equals, and kind to his inferiors, he was popu- 
lar on the quarter-deck as well as with the crew. His life 
presents a long series of meritorious services, which, if less 
brilliant than those performed by others, were notwithstand- 
ing of solid benefit to his country. 

Alexander Murray was born in Maryland, a state which 
has been fertile of naval captains. At the time of his birth, 
his parents, who were honest and respectable, though not in- 
fluential people, resided at Chestertown, where he first saw 
the light on the 12th of July, 1755. His earliest inclina- 
tions were towards the sea. At that period, a thorough edu- 
cation was difficult to be obtained in the colonies, and few, 
except the sons of wealthy families, were taught more than 
a plain English course. Murray learned even less than the 
100 



ALEXANDER MURRAY. 103 

ordinary studies, his attention having been early directed to 
the ocean. In this chosen profession he rose rapidly. At 
eighteen he was already in command of a vessel in the Eu- 
ropean trade, with the prospect of a speedy competency, 
when the war of independence broke out, and, by changing 
his master's quadrant for the captain's sword, altered the 
whole course of his life. 

Murray immediately threw up his ship, resolving to devote 
himself to the cause of his country ; and was rewarded by 
the appointment of lieutenant in the navy. As this marine 
existed as yet only on paper, however, he was compelled for 
the present to serve on land. Accordingly he accepted the 
commission of lieutenant in the first Maryland regiment, 
'Subsequently, under its heroic commander. Col. Small wood, 
the most distinguished in the war. In the various actions 
in which this fine regiment won its reputation, Murray was 
present, and shared in its glory. At Long Island, at White 
Plains, and at Flatbush, he led his men with invincible cou- 
rage; nor did he come out of the campaign unscathed. 
While the army was firing at the British fleet' during its 
passage up the Hudson river, several pieces of cannon ex- 
ploded, which impaired his sense of hearing for life. He also 
suffered severely from exposure. At the end of the season, 
afflicted by chronic diseases, he was compelled to retire ; but 
not before his bravery had been rewarded by a promotion to 
a captaincy in the second Maryland regiment. What perils 
of battle, as well as of sickness, he and the other members 
of Smallwood's regiment were called on to endure, may be 
learned from the fact, that of nearly one thousand men who 
originally composed this band, but sixty were left at the glo- 
rious field of Trenton, at the close of the campaign. 

Having recovered his health, he sought employment again 
on the ocean; and accepted the command of a letter-of- 
marque, with eighteen six-pounders and fifty men, bound for 
Holland. With this vessel he sailed from Baltimore, convoy- 



104 ' ALEXANDER MURRAY. 

ing to sea a large fleet of merchantmen. An enemy's force 
much superior appearing in sight, however, he returned with 
his squadron, consisting of forty vessels, and sought refuge 
in the river Patuxent. Soon after, his command having 
increased to fifty sail, some of them armed, he put to sea 
once more. A fleet of privateers now made its appearance. 
Murray instantly made a signal for the unarmed vessels to 
retire, and for the remainder to rally around him and give 
battle. One brig and a single schooner alone obeyed his call ; 
but with this small force he instantly commenced the action, 
though the enemy's squadron consisted of a ship of eighteen 
guns, a brig of sixteen, and three schooners. A desperate 
action ensued. Murray soon found himself between the ship 
and brig, but firing from both broadsides, he maintained for 
more than an hour the unequal combat, and, at the end of 
that period, the foe hauled off in a crippled condition. Mur- 
ray's two consorts meantime had occupied the rest of the 
British fleet, and succeeded likewise in defeating their antar 
gonists. In this action, Murray received a slight wound. 
Eager, however, to prosecute his voyage, he delayed no 
longer than was absolutely necessary to refit, and then sailed 
again for Europe. But, off the banks of Newfoundland, he 
had the misfortune to be surrounded by a fleet of the enemy, 
and was captured. 

Being carried a prisoner to Philadelphia, he was in due 
time exchanged. He did not remain long inactive. The 
continental frigate Trumbull, Captain Nicholson, being about 
to sail on a seaward cruise, Murray volunteered as one of her 
lieutenants. The Trumbull, almost immediately after getting 
to sea, lost , her fore-topmast in a violent gale, and had the 
misfortune, when the storm abated, to find herself close" 
aboard a British frigate. A sharp action ensued. The fire 
of the Trumbull was so 'incessant and so well aimed that the 
enemy flinched from her guns, and victory would have 
crowned the Americans, notwithstanding their crippled con- 



ALEXANDER MURRAY. • 105 

dition, if a second British frigate had not come up at this 
crisis, and, laying herself across the stern of the Trumbull, 
poured in such raking broadsides, that a surrender became 
inevitable. In this action Murray received a severe wound. 
One third of the Trumbull's crew were either killed or dis- 
abled, a sanguinary proof of the fury with which the battle 
had been contested. The American frigate was the next 
day towed into New York, without a mast standing, and 
with several of her gun-ports beat into one. Such was al- 
ready the heroism of our infant navy ! 

Having been again exchanged, Murray, now recovered 
from his .wounds, repaired fo Baltimore, where his high 
reputation soon obtained for him the command of another 
brig, a letter-of-marque. In this vessel he sailed for St. Croix, 
with a cargo of tobacco, his armament consisting of only five 
six-pounders, and his crew numbering but twenty-five men. 
During the voyage he was assailed by a privateer carrying 
fourteen guns and one hundred men. Murray, instead of 
striking at once to this greatly superior force, resolved to try 
the success of a combat ; and bringing his five guns to bear, 
ultimately compelled the foe to draw off. • The British, how- 
ever, stung at being repulsed by an inferior enemy, soon 
returned to the combat. But success had now inspired the 
Americans, and, with Murray at their head, they renewed 
the battle with cheers. Every man on board the brig felt 
himself a hero." The five guns, as occasion demanded, were 
shifted from side to side, so that the foe, on whichever 
quarter he approached, found his match. The privateer, 
giving up all hope of succeeding otherwise, now ranged up 
alongside and essayed to board; but the attempt was re- 
pulsed, and the British again resorted to a cannonade. The 
brig, by this time, had not a spar standing, except the main- 
mast and the stump of the bowsprit. Convinced that the 
Americans must be an easy prey under these disheartening 
circumstances, the enemy again ajDproached the brig, and 



106 ALEXANDER MURRAY. 

made a second endeavour to board. In this crisis, Murray 
saw that every thing depended on his own resolute sj^irit. 
The conflict had lasted two hours, and had been waged 
against such disproportionate numbers, that his men were 
completely wearied out ; but calling on them to make one 
last effort at resistance, he leaped to the front, and, as the 
first boarder touched the side, hurled him back into the sea. 
A desperate struggle now ensued. But victory finally de- 
clared for the heroic Murray, and the privateer resumed her 
course, having lost nearly a third of her men. A few days 
subsequently the conquerors arrived in safety at St. Thomas. 

At this place Murray refitted, and soon after captured a 
British packet by stratagem in the Gulf of Florida. Having 
carried her into Havana, he found an expedition fitting out 
there against the Bahama Islands, and immediately joined it 
with his ship. The armament set sail, with a large fleet of 
Spanish transports, carrying five thousand men, under the 
American flag. Arriving ofi" New Providence, a gale sprang 
up, leaving no alternative but to be driven on shore, or at 
once to boldly enter the harbour, though it was defended by 
a fort mounted with heavy ordnance. Murray chose the 
latter, and, steering confidently in, summoned the fort to sur- 
render. This was complied with instantly, so panic-struck 
was the garrison. The terms of capitulation were arranged 
by the governor and his aid, both of whom sailed on board 
of Murray's vessel, and would have been unconditional if the 
advice of Murray had been followed. The aid was the cele- 
brated Miranda, then a captain of Spanish grenadiers, and to 
his jealousy of the Americans, Murray always attributed the 
disgraceful terms. A controversy grew out of the afiair, and 
Murray challenged Miranda, but the latter declined the 
combat. 

Murray now returned to the United States, and entered on 
board the AlHance frigate as first heutenant under Commo- 
dore Barry. Peace, however, was soon declared ; when the 



ALEXANDER MURRAY. 107 

navy was disbanded. Murray, it is believed, was the last 
officer who held a commission in the service after the ratifi- 
cation. Few had run so patriotic a career. He had been 
in thirteen battles on land and sea; had been frequently 
i?rounded ; and was twice made a prisoner. On nearly every 
occasion in which he met the enemy, he had contended 
against a superior force, generally with victory, and always 
with honour. No considerations of mere rank had prevented 
his serving his country. At one time we find him at the 
head of a flotilla, then acting as a subordinate officer ; again 
in command of a ship; and finally as a lieutenant under 
the immortal Barry. When no armed vessels of any kind 
were to be had, he was willing to serve in the army ; when 
Congress had not sufficient men-of-war, but private armed 
ships were to be obtained, he accepted a letter-of-marque. 
Battered by tempests and wounds, his sword was ever at 
the call of his country, and was never sheathed, even for a 
moment, unless when he was a prisoner. If ever a man was 
a patriot, Alexander Murray was one. 

When the navy was re-organized, in the prospect of a war 
with France, under the administration of John Adams, Mur- 
ray's name was one of the first on the list of officers appointed. 
He took command of the United States ship Montezuma, 
carrying twenty-four guns, and in a cruise of eight months, 
chiefly along the West Indies, convoyed more than one hun- 
dred vessels into port, without the loss of a single sail. For 
his success he received the thanks of the executive, and was 
promoted to the command of the Insurgent. He now sailed 
on a roving commission which lasted nine months, most of 
the time being spent in an unavailing efibrt to find an enemy 
worthy of him. At Point Petre he blockaded a French 
frigate of forty-four guns, until, all his provisions being con- 
sumed, he was forced to repair to St. Christopher's to recruit. 
On returning to renew the blockade, he met the Constella- 
tion, then just out of her glorious combat with the very ship 



108 ALEXANDER MURRAY. 

lie had been watching, and which he now learned was the 
Vengeance. The two American frigates repaired in company 
to Jamaica, in order that the Constellation, which was much 
crippled, might refit. At this place Murray was met by 
orders to return to the United States. He reached Balti- 
more, after a series of heavy gales, with his ship almost re- 
duced to a wreck, the bolts and nails having started from 
her sides in almost every tempest. 

Murray was now transferred to the Constellation, Truxtun 
having been promoted to the President. He sailed in his 
new ship for the Leeward Islands, where such was his activity 
that not a single American merchantman was captured by 
the enemy. He next proceeded in search of the Vengeance, 
which had formerly escaped both him and Truxtun ; but she 
had already met her fate, having been captured by the 
British. Being relieved by the frigate Congress, Captain 
Seveir, he shaped his course to return to the Delaware. On 
his passage he stopped at Havana, where he found the Vice- 
roy of Mexico and his lady, by whom he was particularly 
distinguished, as much from regard to hiS' personal fame as 
out of respect to the flag under which he served. Leaving 
Cuba he encountered a terrible hurricane, in which the Con- 
stellation was nearly lost. Li a dark night he fell in with 
the British frigate Magnanimie, from which a gun being 
fired without the usual preliminary of showing a signal, 
Murray promptly beat to quarters, and replied with a broad- 
side. This led to an explanation, which precluded further 
hostility. The following day he captured a French lugger, 
and learned that preliminaries of peace had been signed. 
He subsequently stopped at Point Petre, where the French 
garrison received him with every demonstration of respect, 
and where the two commanders united in mutual rejoicings, 
by means of feux de joie and salutes, to celebrate the return 
of amicable relations between France and the United States 

When, in consequence of peace, the act of Congress was 



ALEXANDER MURRAY. 109 

passed reducing the navy, Murray was one of the captains 
retained on the list. The spoUations of tlie Barbary powers 
on our commerce having become unbearable, it was resolved, 
in the beginning of 1802, to despatch a squadron to the 
Mediterranean 5 and the command of this fleet was at first 
destined for Truxtun, but that officer getting into a contro- 
versy with government, Captain Morris was substituted for 
him, in the Chesapeake. As this frigate, however, was not 
yet ready for sea, Murray was despatched in the Constella- 
tion, and, arriving first in the Mediterranean, became the 
superior officer there. His services in this expedition were 
arduous, but no occasion offered for brilliant deeds. His 
courtesy, however, to foreign powers was of essential benefit 
in creating favourable impressions of our young republic. 
At Naples he was entertained with much display. At 
Malaga, having assisted in the reception of the Duke of 
Kent, he was accorded the second post of honour, and pub- 
licly thanked by his highness for the compliment thus paid 
to the British nation in his person. Murray first visited 
Tunis, where he left presents for the bey, after which he 
proceeded to Tripoli, which he blockaded. He remained 
before this place four months, for several weeks of the time 
without a consort ; and it was during this interval that the 
first action between our flag and that of Tripoli occurred, — 
a trivial one, however. 

The want of small vessels in the squadron soon convinced 
Murray that a complete blockade was impracticable, and, find, 
ing himself short of water, he made sail for Palermo. Here 
he heard of the arrival of his superior. Captain Morris, in the 
Mediterranean. At Leghorn he fell in with that officer, and 
having arranged their future operations, Murray proceeded 
down the Straits with a convoy. A gale compelling him to 
put into Malaga, in order to repair a mast, he there met 
Captain Rodgers, in the John Adams, who placed in his 
hands an open letter from the Secretary of the Navy, directed 



110 ALEXANDER MURRAY. 

to Captain Morris, enjoining him to despatch homeward the 
Constellation and some other vessels of war. Murray re- 
solved to return to America without waiting to hear from 
Morris, for that officer was thirteen hundred miles distant, 
and considerable delay would have been the consequence of 
refusing this responsibility. Accordingly, he wrote to inform 
Morris of his resolution, and then spread his sails for the At- 
lantic, followed by a convoy of one hundred merchantmen. 
He reached Washington in- the autumn of 1802. His ship 
was now dismantled, when he retired, for a period, to domes- 
tic repose. 

With his cruise in the Mediterranean closes the active 
period of Commodore Murray's life. He did not, it is true, 
constantly remain on shore after this; but his subsequent 
services were barren of events. He commanded the John 
Adams during a tempestuous season off the Carolinas, when 
he was on the watch for French privateers, then infesting 
the American coasts ; and, with his usual perseverance, re- 
mained at his post, in spite of the inclement weather, until 
his vessel was almost a wreck. This was the last time, it is 
believed, that he hoisted his flag afloat. 

For a long period he was in command of the Navy Yard 
at Philadelphia. He closed his career at his seat near that 
place, on the 6th of October, 1820, in the sixty-sixth year 
of his age. His remains were interred with suitable honours 
in one of the city burial grounds ; but at the opening of the 
Laurel Hill Cemetery were transferred to that spot, where 
they sleep, surrounded by others of the mighty dead, Hull, 
Mercer, and Stewart, names indissolubly connected with 
American glory. 





JOHN BAKEY. 



Few commanders in our infant na\'y were employed in a 
greater variety of services than John Barry, or met the enemy 
under more disadvantages; and none acquitted themselves 
with higher credit. He possessed, indeed, all the qualities of 
a successful leader. He was brave without temerity; prompt 
without rashness; sound in his judgment, and skilful in 
executing his plans. Though a rigid disciplinarian, he knew 
how to win the esteem of his sailors. His devotion to his 
adopted country was of the purest and sincerest character-, 
he resisted every allurement to abandon her in the hour of 
her need ; and he died at last in her service. 

Barry was born at Wexford, Ireland, in the year 1745, of a 
family which had been respectable farmers for a long period 
of time. Early manifesting an inclination for the sea, he 
was placed on board a merchantman while yet a boy. Am- 
bitious of knowledge, he omitted no opportunity to increase 
his store of information, and, in the intervals of his voyages, 
applied himself sedulously to learning, until he had obtained 
what was not common at that time to all in his rank of life, 
a good parochial education. At the age of fifteen he emi- 

113 



114 JOHN BARRY. 

grated to America, where he made Philadelphia, then the 
wealthiest of our commercial cities, his home. His nautical 
skill, the steadiness of his habits, and the mtegrity of his 
character, advanced him rapidly in his profession, so that he 
had scarcely reached the age of manhood, before he was in 
command of a ship. After several years of voyages to Great 
Britain, he became, about the period of the Revolution, the 
master of a valuable ship in the London trade, called the 
Black Prince, which was subsequently purchased by Congress 
as a vessel of war. When the war broke out, however, he 
enthusiastically adopted the cause of America. His rare 
union of valour and discretion, experience and skill, recom- 
mended him immediately to Congress, by which body he 
was honoured with one of the first naval commissions. 

His earliest command was the brig Lexington, of sixteen 
guns, in which vessel he left the capes of Delaware on a 
cruise in February, 1776. This was the first continental 
armed ship, it is believed, that went to sea, an honour long 
claimed for the squadron under Commodore Hopkins, but in 
violation of the truth. On the 17th of April, Barry fell in 
with the Edward, an armed tender, and, after a sharp action 
of an hour, cut her nearly to pieces and captured her. He 
won so much credit by his cruise, that, in the latter part of 
the same year, he was made the seventh captain on the list, 
and transferred to the Effingham, one of three large frigates 
building at Philadelphia. In the winter of that year, one 
ever to be remembered in American history, the navigation 
of the Delaware being ^o impeded by ice that all naval em- 
ployment was suspended, his bold and restless spirit sought 
employment in the army, and, as an aid of General John 
Cadwalader, he rendered efficient services in the eventful 
operations in the vicinity of Trenton. When, towards the 
close of 1777, the British obtained possession of Philadelphia, 
it was deemed prudent to send the vessels of war up the 
Delaware ; and accordingly they were removed to* Whitehall. 



JOHN BARRY. 11 5 

While lying at this place, Barry conceived a project, which 
has justly been pronounced by one of his biographers, as un- 
equalled, during the war, for boldness of design and dexterity 
of execution. He planned an expedition down the river, in 
the hope to strike a blow at some of the enemy's vessels 
anchored off or below the city. Manning four boats accord- 
,ingly, he pulled down with the tide. Some alarm was given 
when opposite Philadelphia, but, dashing ahead, he passed 
the town without injury. Off Port Perm, near tjie mouth of 
the river, lay a British schooner of ten guns, and four trans- 
ports, with freight for the British army. Barry boarded and 
carried the schooner without loss, and the transports also fell 
into his hands. He had scarcely achieved his conquest, 
however, when two of the enemy's cruisers appeared in sight, 
on which he destroyed his j)rizes and escaped to land, with- 
out the loss of a man. This act of daring gallantry attracted 
the attention of Sir William Howe, at that period the British 
commander-in-chief, who, to detach him from the Americas^s, 
offered him twenty thousand guineas and the command of a 
frigate in the English navy. But the bribe was indignantly 
spurned. " Not the value and command of the whole British 
fleet," replied Barry, " can seduce me from the cause of my 
country." 

The Effingham, as well as the other ships at Whitehall, 
having been destroyed by the enemy, Barry was appointed 
to the command of the Ealeigh, of thirty-two guns. On the 
25th of September, 1778, at six A. m., he sailed from Boston 
in his new ship. At noon, two strange sail were seen to lee- 
ward, distant fifteen or sixteen miles. They immediately 
gave chase, but at night Barry lost sight of them. In the 
morning it proved hazy, and the enemy were not visible ; but 
about noon it cleared, when the 'two ships were recognised 
in the southern board, to windward. They made sail imme- 
diately in pursuit, but the mist falling again, they were once* 
more lost sight of, nor was any thing more seen of them on 

9 * 



116 JOHN BARRY. 

the following morning at daybreak. With a view to conceal 
his position, Barry now took in his sails, and permitted the 
ship to drift under bare poles. But about haltpast nine, 
A. M., the two ships were again discovered astern, and in 
chase. The Raleigh now hauled upon a wind, the enemy 
imitating her change of position, and all three vessels carry- 
ing sail under a staggering breeze. At first the American 
outsailed her pursuers, but, the wind moderating, they rapidly 
overhauled her. About five, p. m., the leading vessel having 
nearly closed, the Raleigh edged away and crossed her fore- 
foot, delivering her broadside as she passed. The stranger, 
who showed fourteen guns of a side, now came up under the 
lee-quarter of the American vessel, and the action became 
general and steady. In spite of the loss of his fore-topmast 
and mizzen-top-gallantmast by the second fire of the other 
ships, which were rapidly approaching, Barry stuck by his 
antagonist, his ship being, for most of the time, a continuous 
sheet of flame. At last, the enemy, finding the fire of the 
Raleigh too hot for him, shot ahead ; and, while the latter 
was clearing her wreck, engaged to windward and at a dis- 
tance. 

The British vessel, however, edging away and attempting 
to rake the Raleigh, Barry bore up, and endeavoured to 
board; but the Englishman, from his superiority in a light 
breeze, easily avoided this peril. The other ships of the 
squadron were now so close that flight became necessary. 
Escape by sea was impossible, and' accordingly it was deter- 
mined to run the Raleigh ashore, some low islands being 
visible a few miles distant. When Barry wore for this pur- 
pose, his antagonist boldly followed, both ships maintaining 
a running fire. About midnight, however, the enemy hauled 
off. Barry now entertained hopes of escaping among the 
islands, but the re-appearance of his pursuers prevented this, 
and he ran the Raleigh on shore, on what was subsequently 
discovered to be Fox's Island in Penobscot Bay. It was the 



JOHN BARRY. 117 

intention of the American commander to bum his ship and 
defend the island, and a portion of the crew was already 
landed, when the plan was frustrated through the treachery 
of a petty officer, who surrendered the vessel. Those on 
shore, however, escaped; but the Raleigh was preserved, 
and subsequently placed in the British navy. The vessel 
that 'engaged Barry was the Unicorn, of twenty-eight guns, 
and her consort was the Experiment, of fifty. The .Unicorn 
was much cut up, and lost her masts after the action. The 
perseverance with which Barry manoeuvred to avoid his 
enemy, and the spirit with which he contended against such 
odds, raised his reputation to a high rank among our naval 
heroes. 

There being a scarcity of national armed ships, Barry was 
not able immediately to obtain a vessel in place of the 
Raleigh; but, unwilhng to remain in inactivity, he made 
several voyages in letters-of-marque to the West Indies. 
During one of these voyages he had the charge of a large 
squadron of armed merchantmen. Congress now appointed 
him to the command of a seventy-four, then building in New 
Hampshire. Soon after, however, it was concluded to present 
her to the King of France, on which Barry was transferred 
to the Alliance, of thirty-six guns, the finest frigate in the 
service. In February, 1781, he sailed with her for L'Orient, 
having on board Colonel Laurens and suite, on an important 
embassy to the court of Versailles. After leaving his pas- 
sengers at L'Orient, he departed on a cruise, in which he 
took several valuable prizes. He was still at sea, when, on 
the 28th of May, two sail were discovered on the weather- 
bow, standing for him. At daybreak on the 29th, it was 
quite calm, but the strangers were now close to the Alliance. 
They were a ship and a brig, showing English colours. 
Barry had already displayed the American flag, and beat to 
quarters. The enemy, by means of sweeps, was able to 
approach the Alliance, and choose their position, while the 



118 JOHN BAERT. 

latter lay motionless on the water. Barry now hailed. He 
learned that the strangers were the Atlanta, of sixteen guns, 
and the Trepassy, of fourteen; and immediately ordered 
them to surrender. This the two British cruisers declined to 
do, and immediately the action began. 

It was now noon, but still there was not a breath of air. 
The Alliance lay totally unmanageable. The enemy, by 
means of sweeps, stealing up to her quarters, where only'a 
few of her aftermost guns could be used, while the whole 
weight of their broadsides could be delivered against her, 
soon had the conhict almost entirely to themselves. The 
combat had raged for more tftan an hour, and the Ameri- 
cans, fighting at such disadvantage, were rapidly becoming 
disheartened, when a grape-shot shattered the left shoulder 
of the commodore. Though suffering the acutest agony, 
Barry persisted in remaining on deck, until, having nearly 
fainted from loss of blood, he was compelled to be carried to 
the cock-pit. His last words, however, before descending, 
were an injunction never to give up the ship. The hope- 
lessness of the contest, in its present shape, had almost 
reduced the men to despair, when, as if to crown their de- 
spondency, a shot carried away the ensign of the Alliance. 
At this ominous sight, the crew paused in their efforts, while 
the enemy, concluding the Americans had struck, manned 
their shrouds and huzzaed. The sound reached the ear of 
Barry in the cock-pit, and he anxiously inquired what it 
meant. But, before the answer could be framed, a breeze 
was seen rippling the distant sea; it came nearer and nearer; 
it struck the Alhance ; and, in an instant, she had gathered 
headway. This interposition of the elements was regarded 
as almost miraculous, and at once changed the whole feelings 
of the crew. They manned their guns with loud cheers, and 
delivered a broadside as the Alhance came round. The con- 
test was soon at an end. The two light cruisers could do 
nothing against a heavy frigate, now that she was manage- 



JOHN BARRY. 119 

able, and, at three, p. m., they struck. Barry, out of conipli- 
ment to the heroism of his antagonists, refused to receive the 
sword of Captain Edward, the senior officer of the enemy. 
The AUiance was severely damaged. Her loss was eleven 
killed and twenty-one wounded : that of the British forty-one 
killed and wounded. This action was regarded as the most 
brilliant of the year. 

The Alliance, having returned to Boston, received orders, 
towards the close of 1781, to carry the Marquis de la Fay- 
ette and the Count de Noailles to France on public business. 
Accordingly, on the 25th of December, she sailed from Boston 
with them on board. Having executed her mission, she left 
L'Orient in February, 1782, on a cruise. Her success was 
great, and she continued at sea until March of the following 
year, only making port occasionally. Having been de- 
spatched to Havana for specie, she sailed from that port in 
company with the Luzerne, a ship loaded with supplies. 
Soon after leaving harbour, three frigates were discerned 
ahead, two leagues distant ; the American vessels were hove 
about ; the enemy gave chase. The Luzerne falling rapidly 
behind, Barry signalled her to throw her guns. overboard. 
A strange sail was now discovered on the weather-bow bear- 
ing down on them. The Alliance immediately showed a 
signal, which was answered; the stranger proving to be a 
French man-of-war of fifty guns. Barry now determined to 
make a dash at the headmost of the enemy's frigates, and, 
after a brief address to his men, wore round and poured in 
his broadside. The other vessels meantime manoeuvred in 
a way to engage the attention of the French ship ; but she 
kept her wind, fearing that the Alliance had been already 
captured, and that the engagement was only a decoy. After 
an action of fifty minutes, Barry's antagonist hoisted a signal 
of distress, on which her consorts joined her, and the AlUance 
hauled off. Barry now stood for the French ship, and, speak- 
ing her, it was determined to bring the enemy to action in 



120 JOHN FARRT. 

company. But the fifty proved so dull a sailer that the idea 
was abandoned. The loss of the Alliance in this engage- 
ment was three killed and eleven wounded; that of the 
enemy is reported to have been thirty-seven killed and fifty 
wounded. The commander of the frigate opposed to Barry 
was Captain James Vaughan, subsequently vice-admiral of 
the red ; and, alluding to this battle some years after, he 
said he had never seen a ship so ably fought as the Alliance. 
This was the last occasion on which the commodore was 
engaged with the British. Peace soon after was declared, 
and he remained for many years on shore-, though retained 
in the service. When, under the administration of John 
Adams, it was determined to increase the navy, Barry was 
appointed to superintend the building of the United States, 
at Philadelphia, a forty-four gun frigate destined for his com- 
mand. The model he sanctioned was used in her construc- 
tion, and subsequently employed in other of our national 
vessels, which have proved so superior. She was launched 
on the 10th of July, 1797, being the first vessel afloat under 
the present organization of the navy. In little more than a 
year, the French war broke out, when Barry was ordered to 
sea in her, carrying out with him, as inferior officers, many 
who have since risen to high rank and distinction in the ser- 
vice. He first went to the eastward, but was directed soon 
after" to go to the "West Indies, with the Delaware, of twenty 
guns, and the Herald, of eighteen ; and accordingly he hoisted, 
for the first time, his broad pennant as a commodore. During 
the course of the autumn, two considerable privateers were 
captured by the United States and her consort the Delaware; 
but no enemy of equal size presented himself to Barry. He 
continued, however, actively employed in defending our com- 
merce, being most of the time at sea, until the autumn of the 
following year, when he sailed for France, having on board 
envoys to the Directory, pledges having been given to our 
government that its ministers would be properly respected, 



JOHN BARRY. * 121 

and that the French were willing to treat for a peace. Hos- 
tilities nevertheless continued for more than two years longer, 
not being terminated until the 3d of February, 1801. Even 
after the difficulties with France were terminated, however,. 
Barry retained the command of the United States ; but soon 
after the accession of Jefferson to the presidential chair, the 
ship being laid up in ordinary, the commodore retired finally 
from active ser\'ice. , 

He did not long survive. The short interval that remained 
to him of life was spent among his family, in the exercise of 
a generous hospitality. Frank and affable in his deportment, 
with a native humour that charmed all, it was considered 
not less a pleasure than an honour to share the conversation 
of the veteran hero. For many years he had been subject to 
an asthmatic affection, to which he fell a victim, at Phila- 
delphia, on the 13tli of September, 1803. He died as he 
had lived, in the faith of a Christian. 

In person Commodore Barry was above the ordinary size. 
His countenance was marked with that resolution which was 
his characteristic, the expression softened somewhat by the 
genial kindness of his heart. In deportment he was digni- 
fied, without being ostentatious. 




AOTIO» BETWEEN THE HTBER All AND THE OENEBAJ, MONK. 



JOSHUA BAENEY. 



The name of Barney recalls a career of dashing courage, 
incorrujDtible fidelity, and extraordinary vicissitudes. The 
claims of this distinguished naval hero to the remembrance 
of his country rnen are many and various ; but he is particu- 
larly celebrated for the capture of the General Monk in the 
waters of the Delaware, on the 8th of AjDril, 1782. 

Joshua Barney was born at Baltimore, on the 6 th of July, 
1759, of reputable parents of English descent. His educa- 
tion was indifierent. Having acquired only the principles 
of reading, writing, and arithmetic, he left school at the age 
of ten. He had already disjolayed an inclination for the sea ; 
but his parents, averse to this profession, endeavoured to 
interest him in other employments. Their endeavours were 

in vain, however, and he was finally placed with a brother- 
122 



JOSHUA BARNEY. 125 

in-law, Captain Drjsdale, the master of a small brig trading 
to Liverpool. 

With this relative he continued four years. In December, 
1774, Captain Drysdale sailed for Nice, but died in a week 
after leaving port. The first mate having left the ship in 
consequence of a quarrel, the command of the vessel devolved 
on Barney, now only in his sixteenth year. The ship sprang 
a leak, so that it was necessary to keep the pumps at work 
night and day ; and, on entering the Mediterranean, she was 
overtaken by a storm, which almost reduced her to a wreck. 
Barney put into Gibraltar, where the vessel was repaired, an 
operation that required three months ; after which he prose- 
cuted his voyage to Nice without further disaster. Arrived 
at this port, the consignees refused to pay the expenses in- 
curred at Gibraltar, and the authorities sustaining them, 
Barney was cast into prison. To prevent his vessel being 
seized, he hoisted the union jack, so that any trespass on her 
would be an insult to the British flag. His firmness pre- 
vailed. He was released from prison, the repairs were liqui- 
dated, and his vessel allowed to proceed homewards. Touch- 
ing at Alicant, however, where an expedition was being fitted 
out against Algiers, his ship was detained and employed 
on that unfortunate and disgraceful enterprise. 

When, after these adventures, Barney reached America, 
he found that the war of independence had broke out, and 
that his native country, which he had left a colony of Great 
Britain, had practically declared her independence. He was 
not yet sixteen, but patriotism knows no age, and he deter- 
mined to cast his sword in the scale of America. Two 
vessels were, at that time, being equipped at Baltimore under 
the authority of Congress, and in one of these, the sloop-of- 
war Hornet,.he entered as master's mate. He served in this 
vessel on the expedition against New Providence. Subse- 
quently he volunteered on board the Wasp, Captain Charles 
Alexander, and was with that vessel when she was chased 



126 JOSHUA BARNEY. 

up the Delaware, and blockaded in Wilmington creek. Some 
galleys from Philadelphia being sent to the assistance of the 
Wasp, she stood out, and with their aid escaped the three 
frigates which had pursued her, and reached the capital in 
safety. In this engagement, Barney distinguished himself 
to such a degree that he was rewarded with the commission 
of a lieutenant, and appointed to the Sachem, a sloop of ten 
guns. Captain Robinson, in which he went to sea on the 6th 
of July, 1776, being just seventeen years of age. 

The Sachem, before she had been many days at sea, cap- 
tured a letter-of-marque brig, and carried her into Philadel- 
phia. For the bravery Captain Robinson and Lieutenant 
Barney had displayed in this action, they w^ere transferred to 
the Andrew Doria, of fourteen guns, then about to sail for 
St. Eustatia, to ^^rocure ammunition. The voyage out was 
prosecuted in safety ; but on the return, the Andrew Doria 
fell in with the Race Horse, a British armed vessel of twelve 
guns. A battle ensued, and raged for two hours, when vic- 
tory declared for the Americans. Soon after having captured 
an English scow, Barney was pljiced in her as prize-master. 
But here the good fortune which had hitherto been his sud- 
denly deserted him, and, falling in with the British ship 
Perseus, of twenty guns, he was taken prisoner and carried 
to Charleston. Being released on parole, he returned to 
Philadelphia, but it was some months before he was ex- 
changed. When this was effected, he rejoined the Andrew 
Doria. 

The year 1777 was now drawing to a close, and the nation 
stood absorbed in watching the struggle going on for the pos- 
session of Philadelphia. For the water defence of the city, 
a flotilla of about forty ships and boats had been prepared, 
the command of which was bestowed on Commodore Hazle- 
wood. To this flotilla the Andrew Doria belonged. The 
city, indeed, had already fallen into the hands of the British ; 
but, unless they could obtain the command of the river also, 



JOSHUA BARNEY. 127 

their prize would prove of little value, and miglit even have 
to be abandoned. The struggle for the control of the Dela- 
ware was expected to take place at the mouth of the Schuyl- 
kill, where Fort Mifflin and Red Bank, both in possession of 
the Americans, frowned defiance on the royarfleets. Thither 
the flotilla was now despatched to assist in the contest. The 
series of heroic combats that ensued, and which were pro- 
tracted for nearly a mo^ith, will never be forgotten while the 
history of America survives ; forts and flotilla alike con- 
tributed their deeds of valour, and, though the overwhelming 
numbers of the British finally prevailed, the victors reaped 
less glory than the conquered. In the flotilla action, Barney 
was conspicuous. The American ships, after their defeat, 
retired up the river to Bordentown. 

In December he was ordered to Baltimore, to enter as a 
lieutenant on board the frigate Virginia. While endeavour- 
ing to get to sea, in March, 1778, the ship ran aground, and 
in tliis situation was attacked by three of the British fleet. 
The captain took to his barge and went ashore, leaving 
Barney in command. The young hero would bave fought 
the frigate to the last extremity, but was prevented by the 
other officers, who declared resistance impossible. The ship 
was accordingly surrendered, and Barney found himself a 
prisoner a second time. At first he was treated with hu- 
manity; but being carried to New York, and thrown into one 
of the prison-ships, he realized the full horrors of captivity. 
In a few weeks, however. Admiral Byrne arrived from Eng- 
land to supersede Lord Howe in command of the British 
fleet, and, having visited the prison-ships, ordered Barney to 
be removed to his own vessel, where he was allowed con- 
siderable liberties. After a captivity of five months, he was 
exchanged. He now took command of a private armed 
schooner, and sailed for St. Eustatia ; was captured by a 
privateer in the bay, and set on shore ; and meetmg at Balti- 
more his old friend Captain Robinson, accepted the post of 



128 JOSHUA BARNEY. 

second officer in a private ship which that gentleman com- 
manded. 

They sailed in February, 1779, for Bordeaux, with a cargo 
of tobacco, and an armament of twelve guns; but had 
scarcely left the capes, when they were chased by the Rose- 
bud, an English ship of sixteen guns. The British vessel 
finally overhauled the American, and was making prepara- 
tions to board, when Barney, who ' commanded the stern- 
chaser, loaded the gun with grape-shot and a crow-bar, cut^ 
ting up the enemy's rigging and nearly severing his fore- 
mast. At this warm reception the enemy hauled off, having 
lost, it is said, forty-seven men in killed and wounded. The 
remainder of the voyage out was completed without further 
incident. But, on the return, the ship encountered an Eng- 
lish letter-of-marque, of equal force and weight of metal. 
The contest was long and gallantly maintained by the British, 
yet they were finally compelled to surrender. In charge of 
the prize Barney went into Philadelphia. Finding no va- 
•cancy on board any of the continental men-of-war, he deter- 
mined to retaain on shore a while, rather than re-embark in 
the merchant service. It was during the leisure thus ob- 
tained, that he made the acquaintance of Miss Bedford, 
daughter of Gumming Bedford, Esq., to whom he was married 
on the 10th of March, 1780. 

He next sailed in the Saratoga, of sixteen guns. Captain 
Frejus. This ship had been at sea but a few days when she 
captured a British vessel of twelve guns. The next day an 
enemy's ship and two brigs hove in sight. Chase was im- 
mediately given, and the squadron overtaken, when a despe- 
rate conflict ensued. The ship alone mounted thirty-two 
guns, a disparity of force which rendered victory almost im- 
possible, until Barney, at the head of fifty men, carried her by 
boarding. Her consorts, seeing her fall, immediately surren- 
dered. Barney now took command of the captured ship, and 
steered for the Delaware ; but, on the foUomng day, was taken 



JOSHUA barney: 129 

by the Intrepid seventy-four. A prisoner now for the third 
time, he was treated with even more brutality than on the 
second occasion. Being first carried to New York, he was 
afterwards sent to England, there to be tried for treason. 
During the voyage the prisoners, sixty in number, were con- 
fined in loathsome apartments, twithout light or pure air, and 
with a scanty supply of provisions. At Plymouth they were 
flung into a prison-ship. Afterwards they were transferred to 
Mill Prison. From this place Barney succeeded in efiecting 
his escape in disguise, and, with two other Americans in a 
similar situation, obtained a small fishing vessel, in which, 
habited as fishermen, they set sail for France. They had run 
the gauntlet of the channel fleet successfully, and were con- 
gratulating themselves on their approaching arrival among 
friends, when a privateer overhauled their little craft, made 
them prisoners, and carried them into Plymouth. Here, how- 
ever, Barney again made his escape, reached London, and, after 
six weeks of suspense, obtained a passage secretly to Holland. 
Such extraordinary adventures reahze a dream of romance. 

He reached Philadelphia on the 21st of March, 1782, after 
an absence of nearly two years, the last twelvemonth of 
which had been consumed in his attempts to escape and in 
his voyage home. He was not long allowed to enjoy the 
repose which his trials and sufferings merited. The Dela- 
ware Bay was, at this period, infested with small cruisers of 
the enemy, which not only captured the river craft, but mo- 
lested the neighbouring shores. To repress these marauders, 
the state of Pennsylvania determined to fit out a vessel or 
two at its own expense ; and, with this view, a small merchant 
ship, called the Hyder Ali, then lying outward bound with 
a cargo of flour, was purchased. It took but a few days to 
discharge her freight, to pierce her for sixteen guns, and to 
provide her with an armament. Volunteers flocked to offer 
themselves for her crew. The command was given to Bar- 
ney, and, at the head of a convoy of outward-bound mer- 



130 JOSHUA BARNEY. 

cliantmen, he stood clown the bay, and anchored, on the 8th 
of April, in the roads off Cape May, where he awaited a 
proper wind for the tmders to go to sea. Suddenly, two 
ships and a brig, one of the former a frigate, were seen round- 
ing the cape, obviously with the intention of attacking him ; 
on which he signalled the convoy to stand up the bay, the 
wind being at the southward, himself covering their rear, 
and the enemy in hot pursuit. 

In order to head off the fugitives, the frigate took one 
channel and her consorts the other ; the ship and brig choos- 
ing that which the Hyder Ali had selected. The brig, being 
a very fast vessel, soon overhauled Barney ; but, contenting 
herself with giving him a broadside as she passed, pressed on 
in pursuit of the convoy. The Hyder Ali declined to return 
this fire, holding herself in reserve for the ship, a sloop-of-war 
mounting twenty guns, which was now seen rapidly approach- 
ing. When the Englishman drew near, Barney suddenly 
luffed, threw in his broadside, and immediately righting his 
helm, kept away again. This staggered the enemy, who, 
being so much the superior, and having a frigate within sus- 
taining distance, had expected the Hyder Ali to surrender. 
The two vessels were now within pistol-shot of each other, 
and the forward guns of the British were just beginning to 
bear, when Barney, in a loud voice, ordered his quarter-mas- 
ter " to port his helm." The command was distinctly heard 
on board the enemy, as indeed Barney had intended it should 
be ; and the Englishman immediately prepared to manoeuvre 
his ship accordingly. But the quarter-master of the Hyder 
Ali had, prior to this, received his instructions, and, instead 
of obeying Barney's pretended order, whirled his wheel in 
the contrary direction, luffing the American ship athwart the 
hawse of her antagonist. The jib-boom of the enemy, in 
consequence of this, caught in the fore-rigging of the Hyder 
Ali, giving the latter the raking position which Barney had 
desired. 



JOSHUA BARNEY. 131 

Not a cheer rose from the decks of the American vessel, 
even at this welcome spectacle ; for the men knew that vic- 
tory against such odds was still uncertain, and they thought 
as yet only of securing it. Nor did the British, at a sight so 
disjointing to them, yield in despair. On the contrary, both 
crews rushed to their guns, and, for half an hour, t^e combat 
was waged on either side with desperate fury. The two 
vessels were soon enveloped in smoke. The explosions of the 
artillery were like continuous claps of thunder. In twenty- 
six minutes not less than twenty broadsides were discharged. 
Nor was the struggle confined to the batteries. Riflemen, 
posted in the tops of the Hyder Ali, picked off, one by one, 
the crew of the enemy, until his decks ran sHppery with 
blood, and fifty-six out of his crew of one hundred and forty 
had fallen. All this while Barney stood on the quarter-deck 
of his ship, a mark for the enemy's sharp-shooters, until they 
were driven from their stations by the superior aim of the 
Americans. At length, finding further resistance hopeless, 
the Englishman struck his colours. Huzza on huzza now 
rose from the deck of the victor. Barney, on taking possess- 
sion, discovered that the vessel he had captured was the 
General Monk, and that her weight of metal was nearly 
twice his own. Notwithstanding the presence of the frigate, 
the young hero succeeded in bringing off his prize in safety; 
and, in a few hours, had moored her by the Hyder All's side 
opposite Philadelphia, mth the dead of both ships still on 
their decks. In this action, Barney lost but four killed and 
eleven wounded. For the victory, conceded to be the most 
brilliant of the latter years of the war, Barney was rewarded 
by the state of Pennsylvania with a gold-hilted sword. In 
consequence of the capture of the General Monk, the Dela- 
ware ceased to be infested with the enemy. 

The prize was now purchased by the United States, refitted 
under the name of the General "Washington, and sent to sea 
with Barney in command. Ofi" Cape May he escaped, in the 

10 



132 JOSHUA BARNEY. 

night, from three frigates of the enemy, and proceeding to 
the West Indies, whither he had been secretly ordered with 
despatches, executed his mission, and regained Philadelphia 
in safety. He was next despatched to France to bring 
home a considerable sum of money, which the court of Ver- 
sailles had loaned^ to America. On his return, near ^he 
Delaware, he was chased by three British frigates, but made 
good his escape by anchoring in three fathoms water, and 
seizing the first opportunity to get off again. The arrival of 
peace, soon after this, deprived him of his command, the 
Washington being disposed of by government subsequent to 
that event. Thus terminated the career of Barney in the 
war of independence. . It had exhibited unexampled vicissi- 
tudes, coupled with most extraordinary adventures ; and is, 
in many respects, without a parallel. Three times a pri- 
soner, but more frequently a conqueror, he passed, with equal 
equanimily, from good to bad fortune. In victory humane, 
and in misfortune patient, he was always master of himself. 
Maryland produced no greater naval hero in that generation. 
The history of Barney's life, between this period and that 
of the war of 1812, belongs to his family rather than to his 
country. We shall pass over it in a few words. After 
having served in several civil offices, and entertained for a 
while the idea of emigrating to Kentucky, he went to sea for 
the improvement of his health. Engaging in the West India 
trade, he amassed considerable sums in a short period, though 
at considerable peril, owing to the disregard of the rights of 
neutrals exhibited by the British. In 1794, Congress deter- 
mined to e(|uip six frigates, of one of which he was offered 
the command. His name was fourth on the list, and, being 
after one who was a military officer, he resolved not to ac- 
cept the commission. He now sailed for France, where, 
having been offered the rank of chef de division, equivalent 
to that of a commodore, he entered the French navy. He 
served with distinction for several years; but, finding his 



JOSHUA BARNEY. 133 

claims unrequited, and the fortune he already possessed slip- 
ping away, he retired disgusted in 1802, having lost in claims 
for services and money advanced, two hundred thousand 
dollars. The justice of his demands was in part acknow- 
ledged by a pension of fifteen hundred dollars ; but of this 
he never drew a cent. 

When the war of 1812 broke out, Barney took command 
of the privateer Rossie, and in ninety days captured eighteen 
ships, valued at two millions and a half of dollars. In 1813 
he accepted the command of the flotilla fitting out to defend 
Chesapeake Bay ; but it was not until April of the succeed- 
ing year that his force was in a condition to act. He was 
now for some time blockaded ; but, having received reinforce- 
ments, he attacked the enemy's squadron, and would proba- 
bly have succeeded if the battery on shore had sustained 
him. In the affair of Bladensburg, he commanded the ma- 
rines, the only portion of the American army which behaved 
with spirit. Barney and his httle band kept the enemy in 
check, until the commodore and most of his officers were 
wounded, the former so severely as to be unable to accom- 
pany the retreat which he was compelled finally to order. 
The British, respecting his heroism, gave him his parole, and 
he was carried by the enemy's sailors to Bladensburg, the 
gallant tars refusing to accept the liberal sum which he of- 
fered in compensation for their trouble. From Bladensburg, 
he was conveyed to his farm at Elkridge, where he remained 
for a considerable period, slowly recovering. The surgeon, 
fearing the risk of extracting the ball, allowed it to remain 
in the wound, which gave Barney much inconvenience, and 
was thought to have led ultimately to his death. For his 
gallantry in this action, the corporation of Washington pre- 
sented him with an elegant sword. 

On the restoration of his health, having been exchanged, 
he resumed the command of the flotilla ; but peace was soon 
after declared. He now went to Europe with despatches, 



134 JOSHUA BARNEY. 

and on his return retired to his farm, where he continued to 
suffer from his wounded Hmb. He was subsequently ap- 
pointed naval officer of Baltimore, which office he held for 
the remainder of his days. His death occurred at Pittsburgh, 
on the 1st of December, 1818', while he was on a journey to 
the West. 

In person Barney was noble and commanding. His face 
expressed that cordiality and kindness of heart which every 
act of his life displayed. 




-RICHAKD DALE. 

As the lieutenant of Paul Jones in the action with the 
Serapis, and as the person to whom, after the commander, the 
victory is principally to be attributed, Richard Dale deserves 
a prominent place in this series. 

Dale was born in Virginia, not far from the town of Nor- 
folk, on the 6th of November, 1756. His parents were re- 
spectable, though not rich. His father died while Dale was 
yet a lad, when his mother, finding herself left with several 
children, married again. The presence of a step-father in 
the house, added to a natural inchnation for the sea, induced 
Dale to make a voyage to Liverpool, at the tender age of 
twelve, in a vessel commanded by one of his uncles. On 
his return he remained a twelvemonth on shore, and was 
then apprenticed to a merchant and ship-owner of Norfolk, 
in whose employment he made several voyages to the West 
India Islands. His integrity, his quickness of parts, and his 
attention to his duties, rapidly elevated him in his profession ; 
and in 1775, when he was scarcely nineteen, we find him 

137 



138 RICHARD DALE. 

chief mate on board of one of his employer's vessels. But 
when the struggle for independence had resolved itself into a 
war, the mercantile marine became unsafe, and was gene- 
rally abandoned ; and Dale, in consequence, lost his situation 
as well as became relieved from his articles of apprenticeship.* 

Virginia, in common with most of the wealthier colonies, 
now established a navy of her own, consisting chiefly of bay 
craft, to be employed in her extensive rivers and estuaries. 
In one of the small vessels of this marine. Dale entered as a 
lieutenant. While serving in this capacity, he was sent a 
short distance, in a river craft, for some guns ; but, falling 
in with the tender of a British frigate, was captured and 
carried into Norfolk. Here he was thrown among several 
old intimates, who had embraced the royal side, and who, by 
their arguments, shook his faith for a while in the justice of 
the colonial cause. Under the impressions derived from this 
change of opinion, he accompanied his friends in a cruise 
against some American pilot-boats. An engagement ensued, 
which was warmly contested, and in which Dale received a 
severe wound, which, confining him to his room at Norfolk, 
left him ample opportunity to reflect on his late conduct. 
The result Avas, that he renounced his new principles, deter- 
mining, to use his own words, " never again to put himself in 
the way of the bullets of his own country." In this moment- 
ary vacillation. Dale does not stand alone. Many sincere 
and courageous men hesitated, in a similar manner, on which 
side their duty lay ; for the question was a new one, and, to 
not a few minds, was involved in difficulties. Dale, in after- 
life, always confessed his error, with a candour and sincerity 
which bespoke the honesty of his heart. 

Dale now embarked on a trading voyage to Jamaica, re- 
solving to seek the first opportunity to join his native colours. 
This was not long delayed. On the return passage, the 
vessel was captured by the American brig Lexington, Capt. 
Barry, when Dale, offering himself as a volunteer, was imme- 



RICHARD DALE. 139 

diately rated as a midshipman. Barry having left the brig 
on her arrival in Philadelphia, Dale remained with her, and 
was promoted to be master's mate. In the autumn of the 
year 1776, when returning from Cape Francois, she was 
taken by the Pearl frigate ; but Dale's captivity, this time, 
was of short duration ; for the brig having been recaptured 
by the crew rising on the British officer in command. Dale 
and several others were set on shore at Cape Henlopen in 
exchange for the prisoners. The Lexington soon after- sailed 
for Europe. Here, as part of a squadron under Captain Lam- 
bert Wickes, she made the circuit of Ireland, spreading alarm 
among the English merchants. She subsequently remained 
some months in a French port; but in SeiDtember, 1777, was 
ordered to put to sea, on pain of sequestration, the British 
govenmient having assumed an attitude which forbade the 
longer connivance of the court of Versailles with the fitting 
out of American vessels in French harbours. 

In consequence of this warning, the Lexington went to 
sea indifferently provided with military stores. The day 
after leaving port, she fell in with an armed British cutter, 
the Alert, and immediately, an action ensued. The English 
fought with the greatest spirit ; the Americans at considerar 
ble disadvantage, in consequence of the scarcity of ammuni- 
tion. After a struggle of two hours, the captain of the 
Lexington, beHeving his adversary to be too crippled to fol- 
low, and aware of his own inability to bring the contest to 
a successful termination, made all sail to escape; but the 
Alert, bending new canvas, and being the swifter vessel, in 
the course of three or four hours overhauled the fugitive. 
Finding surrender or a further struggle inevitable, the 
Americans chose the latter, and desperately renewed the ac- 
tion. But their courage was of no avail. The cannonading 
was soon all on one side. After having thrown his last shot, 
after having broken up and used all the old iron that could 
be employed for the purpose, the captain of the Lexington, 



140 RICHARD DALE. 

finding that further resistance would only uselessly sacrifice 
his men, struck his colours. By this untoward event, Dale 
became a prisoner for the third time. He wanted yet fifty 
days of being twenty-one years old. 

Being taken into Plymouth, the ofiicers, after an examina- 
tion to ascertain their birth-place, were thrown into Mill 
Prison on a charge of high-treason. Here the common men 
were already confined. The treatment which the Americans 
received in this place will always be a stain on the' British 
ministry of that time. So severe became the privations of 
the prisoners, that, at last, from excess of hunger, they caught 
a dog, skinned, cooked, and ate him to satisfy their cravings 
for food. This incident becoming known, some charitable 
individuals laid their sufferings before the British public ; the 
appeal was responded to; and in a short time sixteen thou- 
sand pounds were collected for the captives. Relieved from 
the pressure of actual want, and seeing no hope of an ex- 
change, the prisoners now began to turn their thoughts on 
escape. Accordingly, the digging a hole under the wall of 
their common cell was begun. The earth was removed, little 
by little, in the pockets of the captives, care being taken to 
conceal the result of their labours, until a hole, large enough 
to admit the body of a man, was made. The process re- 
quired both secrecy and time, for the prisoners could only 
work when left to themselves, and had no means of ridding 
themselves of the earth dug up, except by emptying their 
pockets, while exercising on the walls for a short period of 
each day. At last, in February, 1778, the hole being com- 
pleted, all the captives admitted into the secret escaped. 
For more than a week, the party wandered about in com- 
pany and by night, suffering the greatest privations. Finally, 
however, it was resolved to separate. 

Dale, with a single companion, reached London hotly pur- 
sued. On one occasion the two lay concealed under some 
straw in an outrhouse, while the premises were searched by 



RICHARD DALE. 141 

those seeking them. From London, Dale sought to escape 
on board a vessel bound to Dunkirk, but, being discovered 
by a press-gang, his true character was suspected. Once 
arrested, he was soon recognised, and remanded to his old 
prison. Now began a confinement even more tedious than 
before. As a punishment for their escape, the prisoners were 
confined for forty days in the black hole; and, even after 
their release from this foul duress, were deprived of many 
privileges they had formerly enjoyed. Dale revenged him- 
self by singing rebel songs, for which he was again immured 
in the black hole. .For a whole year this condition of things 
continued, when Dale succeeded singly in effecting his escape, 
through the agency, it is supposed, of some officer connected 
with the garrison. The exact means are not known, as 
Dale, to the day of his death, refused to reveal them ; but as 
he procured the uniform of an English officer, and in this dis- 
guise walked past the sentry, our explanation of the mystery 
is no doubt the correct one. Dale had now money, probably, 
as well as clothes ; for he went to London, and procured a 
passport. Landing in France, he hastened to L'Orient, 
where he found Paul Jones about to fit out a squadron, and 
joining that distinguished commander in his old capacity of 
master's mate, soon made himself so valuable, that Jones 
procured for him the commission of lieutenant, and a^Dpointed 
him second in command on board the Bon Homme Richard. 
During the action with the Serapis, Dale fought with a 
courage and resolution second only to that of Jones. He 
was the sole lieutenant on board at the time of the action, so 
that his duties were unusually arduous. When the alarm 
was given that the ship was sinking, he went below in per- 
son, to ascertain the depth of water in the hold, and his 
fearless behaviour and energetic conduct did much to in- 
spire the men with confidence. When the master-at-arms, 
in a moment of terror, had cast loose the prisoners. Dale 
prevented any evil resulting from the blunder, by going 



142 RICHARD DALE. 

among them, and telling them, that, if they did not assist at 
the pumps, the ship would founder. After the surrender of 
the Serapis, he took possession of the prize, boarding her so 
much in advance of his party, that, for some moments, he 
was alone on her decks. When the excitement of the battle 
was finally over, he became aware that he had received a 
splinter in his leg, fainted, and fell. He consequently gave 
up the command of the Serapis, and returned, invalided, to 
the Bon Homme Richard. 

The wound of Dale laid him up for a considerable period, 
but he remained with Jones as first lieutenant, and in this 
capacity accompanied that officer, in the Alliance, from the 
Texel to L'Orient. In the controversy between the commo- 
dore and Landais, Dale took part with the former, and of- 
fered to lead a party to recover the Alliance by force. In 
October, 1780, Dale sailed with Jones for America, in the 
Ariel, a twenty gun ship, loaned by the King of France to 
the United States. Losing her masts in a gale, the Ariel re- 
turned to port to refit. About the beginning of 1781, she 
sailed a second time, and arrived at Philadelphia on the 18th 
of February. Dale had now been absent four years from his 
native country, more than a twelvemonth of which period 
had been spent in captivity ; and he was yet only twenty- 
four years and two months old. In reward for his services 
he was placed upon the list of lieutenants, his former com- 
mission having emanated from the agents of Congress in. Eu- 
rope. He now parted from Paul Jones, with whom he had 
served nearly two years. The commodore desired to retain 
Dale with him, ofiering him the place of lieutenant on board 
the America, a seventy-four, destined for Jones; but Dale 
declined, giving as his reason that a long time would elapse 
before the ship could be made ready for sea. Circumstances 
in the end proved the opinion of D^e to be correct, for the 
America was presented to the French king, and Jones never 
went to sea in her at all. 



RICHARD DALE. 143 

In the following June, Dale joined the Trumbull twenty- 
eight, Captain Nicholson, in the capacity of first lieutenant. 
This ship left the capes of Delaware on the 8th of August, 
1781, and, being immediately detected by a blockading squad- 
ron, was chased off the land. The night set in dark and 
squally. Suddenly the Trumbull found herself close to a 
heavy ship, which soon proved to be a frigate, the largest 
ship of the hostile force. The American vessel, notwithstand- 
ing the loss of her fore-topmast and fore-topgallant-mast in 
the chase, joined battle, and the conflict was maintained an 
hour, when the Trumbull struck to the Iris thirty-two and 
the Monk eighteen. This was the fourth time that Dale 
became a prisoner. As he was also wounded in this battle, 
it was the third time that he had received a hurt. He 
did not suffer, on the present occasion, the indignities of his 
late captivity; for being carried into New York, he was 
paroled on Long Island, and in November exchanged. 

On his return to Philadelphia, Dale, finding that the marine 
had, by this time, lost most of its ships, and that there was 
slight chance of his obtaining a command, entered on board 
the Queen of France, a letter-of-marque carrying twelve guns, 
first as chief officer, and subsequently as captain. In the 
latter capacity he sailed, in the spring of 1782, for L'Orient, 
in company with a large squadron of privateers. During 
the voyage, many valuable prizes were made. Having sepa- 
rated from the rest of the fleet. Dale fell in with a British pri- 
vate armed brig, mounting fourteen guns, and a severe con- 
flict ensued, in which both vessels sustained considerable 
damage. The struggle was terminated by the Englishman 
hauling off, nor was Dale in a condition to pursue him. It 
was not until February, 1783, that Dale returned to Phila- 
delphia, and by that time peace had been declared. The 
war having ceased, he, in common with most of the officers 
of the navy, was disbanded. 

Dale was now in the twenty-seventh year of his age, with 



144 RICHARD DALE. 

a perfect knowledge of his profession, active, in good health, 
and full of ambition. There being no opening- for him in 
regular service, he resolved to embark in the mercantile 
marine; and accordingly became part-owner and commander 
of a large ship, in which he sailed for London in December, 
1783. After this, he engaged in the East India trade, com- 
manding several of the finest ships that left our ports. In 
this pursuit he continued until 1794, when the government, 
on the prospect of difficulties with Algiers, appointed him 
one of the six captains authorized under the law of that year. 
An arrangement having been made, however, with the Bar- 
bary power, the captains were furloughed, and Dale returned 
again to the China trade, in which he continued until 1798. 
The last vessel he commanded in this trade was the Ganges. 
This ship was so fast, that when the war broke out with 
France, the government, requiring a hasty armament, bought 
her, fitted her out as a man-of-war, and gave the command 
of her to Dale, with orders to cruise on the coast. In conse- 
quence of this arrangement. Dale was the first officer who 
went to sea under the pennon of the present navy. 

His service in his new field was of short duration, in con- 
sequence of some disputes relating to rank. The captains of 
1794 claimed their seniority, and it being uncertain how the 
question would be decided. Dale declined serving until the 
difficulty was settled. Accordingly, in May, 1797, he sailed 
for Canton again, under a furlough, in command of a strong 
letter-of-marque. On his return from this voyage, finding 
his rank regulated according to his desires, he reported him- 
self for service. All the national vessels were, however, oc- 
cupied, and no opening presented itself until the war with 
France was concluded. But in 1801, when the government, 
aroused by the conduct of the Barbary powers, had resolved 
to send a squadron of observation to the Mediterranean, Dale 
was selected to command the force ; and accordingly, in the 



RICHARD DALE. 145 

spring of that year, he hoisted his broad pennant on board 
the President forty-four. 

The squadron, consisting of three frigates and a brig, sailed 
on the 1st of June, 1801. The cruise continued about ten 
months, but his orders prevented the commodore executing 
any serious enterprises. He, however, blockaded Tripoli for 
part of the time. In the autumn of 1802 he was again 
offered the command of the Mediterranean squadron, but 
ascertaining that he was to be sent out without a captain in 
his flag-ship, and regarding this as a descent in rank, he 
resolved to decline the appointment. As there was,* how- 
ever, no choice between obedience and resignation, it became 
necessary for him to retire from the navy. Accordingly he 
threw up his commission. At this time he was the third 
captain on the list. But his services in the war of Inde- 
pendence, and his vigilance in his late cruise, practically 
rendered him first in popular estimation. 

The remainder of his life. Dale spent on shore, in the en- 
joyment of an ample fortune, and surrounded by his family 
and friends. In 1791 he had married a ward of Commodore 
Barry's, and with this lady he now lived in the enjoyment 
of that domestic happiness for which his warm heart and 
well balanced character so admirably qualified him. He did 
not, however, in resigning his commission, lose his love for 
the navy, but, as his sons attained the proper age, sought for 
and secured their admission to the service. For many years 
previous to his death he was in full communion with the 
Protestant Episcopal Church, and sustained the character of 
a sincere and consistent Christian. He established, in Phila- 
delphia, a Mariner's Church, which he attended every Sunday 
afternoon for a number of years. In seamen he took a lively 
interest, and was particularly active in all philanthropic 
measures undertaken for their benefit. Much of his time, it 
is said, as welKas of his purse, was devoted to charity. He 



146 KICHARD DALE. 

survived until the 26 th of February, 1826, when he died, at 
the green old age of seventy. 

The character of Dale is marked by a total want of exag- 
geration. He was truth itself No man could be bolder in 
the hour of action ; none was less boastful after the victory 
was won. He was cool in battle, prompt in emergencies, 
never led into excesses by the heat of the struggle. Modesty 
and ability with him went hand in hand. If the navy has 
shown men more brilliant, it has exhibited none more deserv- 
ing. Never, it has been well said, has a whisper of com- 
plaint been heard against the public or private career of 
Richard Dale. 




CAPTURE OF L'INSURGENTE. 



THOMAS TEUXTUN. 



The hero of the war with France was Thomas Truxtun. 
By a combination of fortuitous circumstances, he was not 
only the first officer to gain a victory after the establishment 
of our infant navy, but the sole one to capture a frigate in 
the contest to which we have alluded. His conquest of L'ln- 
surgente, a ship of somewhat superior force to his own vessel, 
was his earliest achievement ; but the fame of this was soon 
after ecHpsed by his victory over the Vengeance, a fifty-four. 

Truxtun was bom on Long Island, the 17th of February, 
1755. His father, an eminent lawyer of the colony of New 
York, died while the future commodore was yet a lad ; and 
in consequence, young Truxtun became the ward of John 
Troup, Esq., of Jamaica, Long Island. He did not, however, 
remain long under the guardianship of this gentleman. Like 
most of the naval heroes of this country, he early displayed 
a predilection for the sea ; and, notwithstanding the remon- 
strances of his friends, embarked on board a ship bound to 

149 



150 THOMAS TRUXTUN. 

Bristol, England, when he was scarcely twelve years old. 
., The following year he was apprenticed, at his own request, 
to a celebrated commander in the London trade. No inci- 
dent occurred during this period of his life worthy of mention, 
except his impressment on board the Prudent, a sixty-four, 
at the period of the threatened war with Spain, in consequence 
of the difficulty about the Falkland Islands. He was soon 
released, however, on the application, it is said, of a person 
in authority. The captain of the Prudent, pleased with his 
activity and intelligence, endeavoured to persuade him to 
continue in the service, promising that interest should be 
made for his promotion; but Truxtun, though flattered by 
the offer, and tempted by. the career thus opened to him, did 
not consider it compatible with honour to abandon his old 
master, and therefore returned to the merchant service. 
This decision showed a nobility of soul, which foreshadowed 
p the greatness of his future life. 

As early as 1775, when but twenty years of age, Truxtun 
had risen to the command of a vessel. The war of indepen- 
dence had now begun, and the young seaman, arraying him- 
self on the side of his country, signalized himself by bringing 
home a supply of powder on one of his voyages. Towards 
the close of the year, when bound to St. Eustatius, he was 
captured by a British frigate, and his vessel, of which he 
owned a half, condemned. He was not, however, confined 
as a prisoner, and, in consequence, he returned to the colo- 
nies, landing at Philadelphia. He now entered as lieutenant 
on board the Congress, a private armed ship, which, in the 
winter of 1776, captured several valuable Jamaica merchant- 
men in the Gulf of Florida. Of one of these vessels Truxtun 
took command as prize officer, and carried her into Bedford, 
Massachusetts. In 1777, he fitted out a privateer, called the 
Independence, at New York, and proceeded off the Azores, 
where he fell in with a part of the Windward Island convoy, 
of which he took three large and valuable ships, one of 



THOMAS TRUXTUN. 151 

wliicli was superior to the Independence in both men and 
guns. 

Returning from this cruise, he fitted out another vessel, 
the Mars, mounting twenty guns, and in her sailed for the 
British Channel, where he made great ravages among the 
enemy's merchantmen. Some of his prizes having been sent 
into Quiberon, Lord Stormont remonstrated with the court of 
Versailles against the admission into the harbours of France 
of our armed vessels and prizes. After a very successful 
cruise, Truxtun returned to the United States, and settled 
in Philadelphia, then the capital of the nation. He did 
not, however, remain long on land, but, during the remain- 
der of the war, was actively employed at sea, commanding 
and in part owning several of the most important armed 
vessels built in Philadelphia. He brought in from the West 
Indies, in this period, large cargoes of the articles, which, in 
that eventful time, were of the first necessity for the army. 
On one occasion, while making a voyage to France in the 
St. James, a twenty gun ship, he engaged a British privateer 
of thirty-two guns, which he obliged to sheer ofi", and which 
was subsequently towed into New York in a dismantled con- 
dition by a royal man-of-war. He returned from this voyage 
with one of the most valuable cargoes landed in the United 
States during the war. Not content with his services on the 
ocean, he distinguished himself on two remarkable occasions 
on land. Though never holding a commission in the regu- 
lar marine, he established a high reputation for ability as 
well as bravery, and, when the war closed, he could make 
the proud boast that he had never engaged the foe without 
coming off victorious. 

Like others of the most gallant naval commanders of the 
struggle for independence, he turned his attention to com- 
merce after the peace of 1783, and was, for some years, em- 
ployed in an extensive trafiic with Europe, China, and the 
British possessions in India. In 1794, however, when the 



152 THOMAS TRUXTFN. 

first germs of the present navy were formed, Truxtun was 
appointed one of the six captains nominated at that time, 
and directed to superintend the building of the Constellation, 
a frigate of thirty-six guns, which he was destined to com- 
mand. When the difficulties with France occurred in 1798, 
Truxtun was despatched to the West Indies, to protect the 
commerce of the United States in that quarter. In company 
with the Baltimore twenty, he went to Havana, and con- 
voyed safely home a fleet of sixty sail, several French 
cruisers lying in the Spanish port, ready to follow the mer- 
chantmen but for this force. Returning again to the West 
Indies, he continued cruising in that quarter, until the 9th 
of February, 1799, when, the island of Nevis bearing west- 
south-west, distant five leagues, a large sail was detected on 
the southern sea-board. The Constellation having the wea- 
thergage, Truxtun ran down towards the stranger, who 
immediately showed American colours. The commodore 
now displayed his private signals. On this the other vessel 
hauled down the stars and stripes, ran up the French ensign, 
and, firing a gun to windward, kept on under easy sail, in- 
viting a contest. The challenge thus boldly given was chi- 
valrously accepted ; and the Constellation bore down on the 
foe, who confidently awaited the combat. 

The American frigate was soon close to the enemy, and, 
having hailed him, opened her fire, which the stranger re- 
turned with equal spirit. For fifteen minutes the contest 
raged with fury on both sides. At last a shot struck the 
fore-topmast of the Constellf^tion, near the lower cap, and the 
spar threatening to yield to the pressure of the inmiense sail. 
Midshipman David Porter, who commanded in the top, as- 
sumed the responsibility of cutting the stoppers and lowering 
the yard. This bold conduct alone saved the topmast and 
all its hamper from falling ; and probably exercised a decisive 
influence on the result of the battle. The Constellation now 
drew ahead, still maintaining a tremendous cannonade. 



THOMAS TRUXTUN". 153 

While the enemy aimed chiefly at her rigging, she directed 
her fire principally to his hull, and with such effect, that be- 
fore the fight had raged an hour, the spirit of the foe began 
to flag. The Americans, stimulated by this spectacle, now 
threw in two or three raking broadsides, and then, shooting 
ahead out of the smoke, wore round, and, hauhng athwart 
the enemy's stern, prepared again to rake her. Before the 
manoeuvre could be executed, however, the foe lowered her 
colours. At this welcome sight the crew of the Constellation 
unanimously cheered, and, as the sounds died off, renewed 
and yet again renewed the huzza, until the ship rocked be- 
neath the concussion. 

The prize proved to be L'Insurgente, one of the fastest 
vessels in the French navy. In this conflict the force of the 
two frigates may be considered as nearly equal. The Con- 
stellation mounted but thirty-eight guns, and had a crew of 
only three hundred and nine men ; while L'Insurgente carried 
forty guns and four hundred and nine men. The guns of 
the French ship were but twelves, however, while a portion 
of the Constellation's, those in the main-deck battery, were 
twenty-fours. The weight of metal in a broadside Avas, 
therefore, as much in favour of the American frigate as the 
superior size of L'Insurgente's crew was to the advantage of 
the latter. In this action,. the foe had twenty-nine men 
killed and forty-one wounded ; the Americans had only three 
wounded. The victory of the Constellation rendered the 
navy even more popular than it had been previous, and 
placed Truxtun, in the estimation of the nation, on a par 
with the brightest naval heroes of the war of independence. 
A prize crew was put into the captured vessel immediately 
after the action ; but a gale coming up, the two ships parted 
before all the prisoners could be removed to the Constellation. 
Darkness soon followed, and Lieutenant Rodgers, who was 
in command, found himself alone, and with no one but Mid- 
shipman Porter and eleven men, to manage one hundred 



154 THOMAS TRUXTUN". 

and seventy-two of the foe. The wreck of the spars and 
hamper, which had fallen in the fight, still dragged beside 
the hull, while the decks were covered with the wounded 
and the dead. The prisoners, perceiving what a small num- 
ber w^as opposed to them, began to show symptoms of rising. 
In this crisis Lieutenant Eodgers acted with that prompti- 
tude and energy which distinguished him when he rose to 
bear a commodore's broad pennant. The prisoners were 
hurried into the lower hold, and a sentry stationed at each 
hatchway, with orders to shoot any one who should attempt 
to come on deck without orders. For three days and nights, 
the two young officers,* with their slender crew, were com- 
pelled to manage a frigate, and keep watch over their pri- 
soners, nor during the whole of that period did either 
Eodgers or Porter lie down to sleep. At the end of that 
time, L'Insurgente arrived at St. Kitts, where the Constel- 
lation was already at anchor. The captured frigate was soon 
after taken into the service as a thirty-six, an-d, being placed 
under the command of Captain Murray, was sent to cruise 
with a roving commission. 

During the year 1799, Truxtun was in command of one 
of the two principal squadrons into which Congress had di- 
vided our force in the "West Indies. The St. Domingo station 
was awarded to Commodore Talbot, whose broad pennant 
was hoisted on board the Constitution forty-four ; while the 
Guadaloupe station was given to Truxtun, who continued in 
the Constellation, having, for most of the tune, thirteen sail 
under his command. The facilities for concealment offered 
among the islands, as well as the great value of the Ameri- 
can trade, caused the seas in that quarter to swarm with 
French privateers. The summer and autumn of the year 
were, therefore, spent by Truxtun almost constantly at sea. 
It was while engaged in cruising off Guadaloupe, having 
parted company with all his squadron, that the commodore, 
on the 1st of February, 1800, saw a large ship to the south- 



THOMAS TRUXTUN. 155 

east, steering westward. At first he supposed the strange 
sail to be an English merchantman, and, not wishing to be 
drawn to leeward of his cruising ground, he hoisted Britisli 
colours, in order to induce her to approach and speak him. 
But the invitation being slighted, sail was made in pursuit. 
The Constellation gained rapidly on the stranger, and soon 
discovered him to be a Frenchman, on which the English 
flag was hauled down, the men beat to quarters, and the 
American ensign given to the winds. The enemy was now 
made out to be a fifty-two ; but, nothing daunted by the dis- 
parity of force, Truxtun stood boldly on, carrying every inch * 
of canvas that would draw ; while the Frenchman, instead 
of coming up to meet him, as L'Insurgente had done, made 
every exertion to escape. The only excuse for this was, that 
the foe was deeply laden with valuable articles, it being the 
practice, at that time, to send such things to France in ships 
of war. About noon the wind fell, when the enemy began 
to gain. All through the afternoon, the breeze continued 
variable, the Constellation now sailing the fastest, and now 
the foe. Night fell, with the French ship rather more dis- 
tant than at noon. When morning dawned, the enemy was 
still discovered to leeward, and the chase was continued with 
renewed determination on the part of the Americans. At 
meridian, on the 2d, the wind freshened, when the Constella- 
tion again drew ahead. During the afternoon, the breeze 
continued to increase, and now the enemy rose fast to view. 
Truxtun pressed his ship to the utmost, his eagerness in- 
creasing with the delay, and, at last, about eight p. m., he . 
was within speaking distance of the stranger. 

The Frenchman, finding escape impossible, now came up 
to the wind a little, and, as the Constellation doubled on his 
quarter, opened a fire from his stern and quarter guns. 
Truxtun, restraining the impatience of his men, waited until 
he had drawn still more on the weather quarter of the chase, 
when he poured in a broadside. The action now began in 



156 THOMAS TRUXTUN. 

earnest. Both ships were determined on victory, and for 
several hours the fight was maintained within pistol-shot, 
the combatants running side by side, and the firing being 
rapid and tremendous. About midnight the resistance of 
the enemy began to slacken, and the hopes of the Americans 
gaining a brilliant victory rose fast, the more when, an hour 
after, the stranger hauled up and drew out of the combat. 
Just at this crisis, however, word was brought to Truxtun 
that the mainmast was tottering, every shroud having been 
shot away. As victory depended on the preservation of this 
important spar, he was compelled to order the men from the 
guns in order to repair it, intending, when the mast was ren- 
dered safe, to renew the chase, nor leave the enemy until he 
had struck. But all the brilliant anticipations of the com- 
modore and his crew were cut short, in a few minutes, by 
the mast going by the board. What added to the misfortune 
was that all the topmen, including Mr. Jarvis, the midship- 
man in command aloft, went over the side with the spar, 
and that gallant young officer, who had refused to abandon 
his post, was lost, with all but one man. The Constellation 
was now in no condition to prosecute the combat. The 
enemy, however, was in even a worse plight, except that 
he still retained sufficient spars to enable him to escape. In 
a few days, the Frenchman arrived at Cura9oa, dismasted 
and in a sinking condition, having lost, in the battle, fifty 
killed and one hundred and ten wounded. The Constella- 
tion suffered less severely, her loss being fourteen killed and 
• twenty-five wounded, but eleven of the latter died at Ja- 
maica, whither Truxtun bore up after the action. The 
enemy was subsequently discovered to have been La Ven- 
geance, with a crew of between four and five hundred souls, 
and mounting twenty-eight eigh teens for her main-deck 
battery, sixteen twelves, and eight forty-two pound carron- 
ades. The Constellation's armament having been changed 
since her action with L'Insurgente, she now carried twenty- 



THOMAS TRUXTUN. 



157 




THE TKUSTUS MEDAL. 



eight eighteens, and ten twenty-four pound carronades. In 
computing the weight of the respective broadsides, it must 
be remembered that, in the French mode of weighing, one 
pound is added to every twelve ; hence the disparity of force 
was very considerably in favour of La Vengeance. Yet, if 
the Constellation could have kept alongside of her gigantic 
opponent half an hour longer, the tri-colour would have 
been hauled down to the stars and stripes. It is even 
said that the French ship surrendered three times ; but this 
not being perceived in the obscurity of night, the Ameri- 
can fire was continued, whereupon the enemy resumed the 
fight. 

The splendour of this achievement almost eclipsed the cap- 
ture of L'Insurgente. Congress, on hearing of the action, im- 
mediately voted Truxtun a gold medal; while the heroic 
conduct of Mr. Jarvis, in preferring death to an abandonment 
of his post, was honoured by a solemn resolution. The grati- 
tude of the republic was further exhibited by giving to Trux- 
tun the command of the President forty-four, then just fitting 
for sea. In this ship, the commodore made another cruise 
on the Guadaloupe station, where he rendered valuable ser- 



158 THOMAS TRUXTUN. 

vice at the head of his squadron, until the termination of 
the war. 

In 1802, when the difficulties with Tripoli induced govern- 
ment to send a fleet to the Mediterranean, Truxtun was or- 
dered to take command of the squadron. Learning, however, 
that he was to be deprived of the customary captain in his 
flag-ship, he tendered his resignation of the appointment. 
The Navy Department chose to consider this step as a resig- 
nation of his commission ; and thus, through a false step on 
the part of government, the service lost the greatest hero it 
then possessed. Eventually, the President had to rescind 
the unpopular order, and Truxtun's successors, when hoist- 
ing their broad pennants, always were allowed a captain. 

The career of Truxtun, after his retirement to private life, 
was barren of events. He filled several important civil 
offices, the gift of his fellow-citizens, and won esteem from 
all for his private virtues, as before he had gained admiration 
for his brilliant exploits. He resided in Philadelphia, where 
he died, in 1822, at the age of sixty-seven. 

Truxtun's personal appearance was in keeping with his 
dashing courage. His features were bold, bis eye keen, and 
his bearing that of a hero. His portrait, as given on the 
medal struck in his honour, fully realizes the indomitable 
bravery which his entire career exhibited. 




JOHN SHAW. 



This officer is principally celebrated for his services in the 
French war, in which he took two large privateers that had 
done much damage to American commerce. One of these 
vessels, Le Flambeau, was of greatly superior force to Shaw's 
own ship, and her capture has always been considered a deed 
only less brilliant than the victory of Truxtun over L'liisur- 
gente. 

John Shaw was born at Mount Melhck, Queen's county, 
Ireland, in the year 1773. His family was of English origin, 
which had settled in Ireland during the reign of William the 
Third : his grandfather, the original immigrant, as well as his 
father, served in the army on the Irish establishment. At 
the age of seventeen, young Shaw, in company with an older 
brother, came -to the United States to push his fortunes. At 
Philadelphia, to which place he had brought letters of intro- 
duction, Shaw was tendered a situation on board a Canton 
ship, and, having imbibed a taste for the ocean during his 
passage from Ireland, he accepted the offer. In the next six 
years he made four voyages to the East Indies, gradually 
perfecting himself in his profession, and rising slowly in rank. 
On his second voyage, he saw service for the first time, the 

161 



162 JOHN SHAW. 

ship in which he sailed being attacked by Malays ; and not- 
withstanding the fire of six four-pounders, the enemy were 
so numerous that the result would have been doubtful, but 
for a breeze which sprang up and carried the American 
vessel away from the pirates. During the action, Shaw dis- 
tinguished himself by that fiery courage which afterwards 
peculiarly characterized him. 

About the close of 1797, Shaw sailed for the West Indies 
as the master of a brig, this being his first command. On 
his return from this voyage, he applied for a commission in 
the navy, and, being sustained by the influence of General 
Samuel Smith of Baltimore, obtained a lieutenancy. He 
was now in his twenty-fifth year. Soon after receiving his 
appointment, he was ordered to join the Montezuma twenty, 
commanded by Captain Alexander Murray. Under this ex- 
perienced seaman, Shaw soon became one of the best officers 
in the service. He became a favourite with Murray, who, 
on the expiration of the voyage, used his influence, whi,ch 
was great, to procure for Shaw a separate command, and suc- 
ceeded. The vessel to which the young seaman now received 
an appointment was a schooner, the Enterprise, pierced for 
twelve long sixes, a species of gun that preceded the use of 
the carronade. This vessel was destined to become one of 
the most fortunate that ever sailed under the American flag, 
fighting nine or ten actions, in all of which she was victori- 
ous, besides furnishing, from her officers and crew, the gallant 
band which carried the Philadelphia in the harbour of Tri- 
poli. She was wrecked, at last, under Captain Galligher, in 
the West Indies. 

Shaw went to sea with his new command, with a crew of 
seventy-six men, in December, 1799. In February, 1800, 
he met the Constellation, a few hours after her engagement 
with La Vengeance, and was despatched to the United States 
by Commodore Truxtun with intelligence of the battle. In 
March, Shaw sailed again for the West Indies. While off" 



JOHN SHAW. 163 

the Mona passage, working up towards her station, the En- 
terprise saw a large brig, wearing American colours, to which 
she gave chase. The stranger, on the approagh of Shaw, 
showed the Spanish flag and opened a fire. Determined to 
resent what he considered an insult, though now perceiving 
that the Spaniard was superior to himself in force, Shaw still 
advanced, until, having gained a position on the brig's quarter, 
he poured in a broadside. An action immediately ensued, 
and lasted for twenty minutes, when the combatants sepa- 
rated by tacit consent, each satisfied of the national charac- 
ter of the other. This was the first action of the Enterprise, 
'and the spirit with which it was fought foreshadowed her 
future career. Both vessels were considerably injured ; and 
the Enterprise put into St. Thomas to refit. 

At this port, Shaw received a challenge from a large French 
lugger, then lying in the harbour ; but, though he accepted 
the defiance, and went into the ofiing to wait for the enemy, 
the lugger did not come out. In the course of two weeks, 
during the cruise that followed, Shaw captured two large 
French privateers, both after a desperate resistance. These 
vessels were, however, each inferior to the Enterprise. 
Shortly after, Shaw heard that two American seamen, at 
Guadaloupe, were sentenced to death for having killed two 
Frenchmen in an attempt to recapture their vessel. He im- 
mediately opened a negotiation for the release of the unfor- 
tunate prisoners, but fiiiled. Fortune, however, which had 
always hitherto attended him, did not abandon him in this 
crisis ; for a few days subsequently, he fell in with, and cap- 
tured the lugger which had challenged him at St. Thomas, 
and on board of which he now found several ofiicers of the 
French army, one of them being of the high rank of major- 
general. The American commander promptly placed this 
general and a captain in confinement, and caused an intima- 
tion to be sent to Guadaloupe, that their lives should pay for 
those of the seamen. This spirited conduct was approved by 

12 • 



164 JOHN SHAW. 

Commodore Truxtun, who soon after arrived on the station ; 
and the affair now growing serious, the French general ap- 
plied for his parole, guarantying to arrange the difficulty if 
allowed to proceed to Guadaloupe. The request was granted, 
and, within a month, he returned with the two Americans, 
now liberated. The spirit shown by Shaw in this affair 
added to the applause his victories had already obtained. 

While the negotiations for the release of the two condemned 
Americans were in progress, Shaw was not idle, but actively 
engaged on his cruising ground. In June, he captured 
L'Aigle, a French privateer, carrying ten guns and seventy- 
eight men. As this vessel was a match for the Enterprise, 
and had hitherto been very successful, she made no attempt 
to avoid the combat; but, after only two broadsides, Shaw 
carried her by boarding. This speedy victory, however, is 
to be attributed to the fact that the captain and both of his 
lieutenants were disabled by the first fire, when a panic 
seized the crew; otherwise, it is to be presumed, the resist- 
ance would have been more worthy of L'Aigle's former fame. 
In July, the Enterprise fell in with Le Flambeau, a priva- 
teer of even greater reputation than the last. This vessel 
mounted the same number of guns as Shaw's schooner, but 
she threw much the heavier broadside, and her crew more- 
over exceeded considerably the crew of the Enterprise. Le 
Flambeau was also celebrated for swiftness, and had for her 
commander an experienced seaman. She was first discovered 
about nightfall, and her character being immediately sus- 
pected, Shaw made every effort to get alongside of an enemy 
so worthy of his prowess. But the approach of darkness for- 
bidding success, he was compelled to restrain his impatience 
until morning. The night passed in restless anxiety. 

When day broke, however, the Frenchman was seen 
sweeping toward the Enterprise in a calm ; and, at the wel- 
come sight, congratulations passed from one to the other of 
the Americans. With the first puff of the sea breeze, the 



JOHN SHAW. . 165 

Enterprise set all her sails, and crowded in chase of Le Flam- 
beau. At this unexpected spectacle, the Frenchman, who 
had not supposed his neighbour to be a man-of-war, spread 
his canvas, and, for some time, both vessels went off free, 
with studding-sails set, Le Flambeau warily desiring to ob- 
serve, before allowing the Enterprise to approach nearer. 
Each vessel was now going at the top of its speed, the French- 
man with studding-sails on both sides. Suddenly the latter 
hauled close upon the wind, boarding his starboard tack; 
and, as he came gallantly up, he seemed like some high- 
trained courser answering to bit and spur. The Enterprise 
instantly followed, hauling up nearly in his wake. The 
chase now continued with more spirit than ever ; but it soon 
became apparent that the American schooner was gaining. 
At this gratifying fact, the exhilaration of her crew increased, 
and the men, ready at their quarters, waited impatiently the 
moment when they should be slipped upon the foe. Shaw 
himself anxiously watched his antagonist, nor could he con- 
ceal his satisfaction as he saw the distance lessening between 
him and the enemy. 

As soon as the vessels were within range of musketry, Le 
Flambeau opened a heavy fire with that species of arms; 
which the Enterprise promptly returned. Meantime the two 
vessels continued to approach each other. When close aboard 
of his antagonist, Shaw edged off, and shortened sail, like a 
boxer stripping for the fight. The enemy showed no want 
of spirit, but accepted the tacit challenge by pouring in a 
broadside. The Enterprise replied in the same manner, and 
the battle began in earnest. For twenty minutes the fight 
raged, broadside following broadside from either side, until 
both vessels were completely enveloped in smoke. The 
Frenchmen fought with the noisy vociferations of their race; 
the Americans in the stern silence which they always ex- 
hibit on such occasions. At last the enemy, finding that it 
was impossible to be the- victor, hauled all his sheets aft, 



1G6 JOHN SHAW. 

luffed and tackedj in hopes to escape. In endeavouring to 
imitate this manoeuvre, the Enterprise unfortunately missed 
stays. Shaw saw that not a moment was to be lost, if the 
victory was ^to be prevented from slipping through his grasp ; 
accordingly he trimmed every thing that would draw, got 
around, and dashed in pursuit again. At the same time, he 
opened his fire, which had been intermitted, and, as the gal- 
lant little Enterprise careened to the breeze, her cannon 
boomed across the air, like martial music heralding to battle. 

In a short time men were seen aloft on board the French- 
man, endeavouring to secure the fore-topmast, which was ap- 
parently badly wounded. This stimulated the Americans 
anew. Suddenly, as a flaw struck the fugitive, her spar 
snapped off, carrying six persons overboard. Abandoning 
the men to their fate, Le Flambeau swept away. But not 
even the stirring excitement of the chase could drown the 
voice of humanity in Shaw's bosom ; and, as he passed the 
struggling victims, he lowered a boat and picked them up. 
A few moments were thus lost, but they were soon regained, 
,for the -Enterprise, having her spars all sound, now gained 
rapidly on the Frenchman. The crew of the schooner at 
this could scarcely restrain their cheers. In twenty min- 
utes from the time when Le Flambeau abandoned the con- 
test and sought safety in flight, Shaw was again alongside of 
his antagonist ; and, ranging close up, was about to open his 
broadsides, when the foe struck. In this spirited action, Le 
Flambeau had forty men killed and wounded, andthe Enter- 
prise eight or ten. The prize was carried to St. Kitts, and, 
in the end, all the proceeds were adjudged to the officers and 
people of the Enterprise, as having captured a vessel of supe- 
rior force. 

In August, Shaw took another privateer. La Pauline ; and 
in September, a letter-of-marque, Le Guadaloupeeme. Both 
these vessels, however, were inferior in force to the Enter- 
prise. On board the letter-of-marque was found the general 



JOHN SHAW. 167 

officer who had been captured in the, lugger in May, and 
who now became a prisoner, the second time in one season, 
to Shaw. Nearly a year had now elapsed since Shaw had 
been in the West Indies, and during that interval he had 
done more to cut up the privateers of the enemy than any 
officer in the service. His health, meantime, had broken 
down in the arduous labours which his ambitious spirit im- 
posed upon himself; he was afflicted by a continual diarrhoea, 
which threatened to become chronic. Under these circum- 
stances, following the advice of his medical attendants, he 
was induced to apply for leave of absence as the only means 
left to preserve his life. The request was granted, and, de- 
livering the Enterprise to Lieutenant Sterret, he sailed for 
home, as a passenger, in the Patapsco sloop-of-war. He 
reached the United States in November, 1800. At Washing- 
ton, he received the thanks both of the President and the 
Secretary of the Navy ; and soon after, as a more tangible 
reward for his services, was appointed to a corvette, a post- 
captain's command. The peace that -followed, however, pre- 
vented his going to sea. 

A large reduction was now made in the navy list, and 
nearly three-fourths of the officers discharged. But Shaw, 
though a foreigner, and of scarcely three years' standing in 
the service, had performed too many brilliant exploits, in his 
late cruise to be discarded ; and accordingly he was retained 
as fourth on the roll of lieutenants, Stewart, Hull, and 
Sterret being above him. In 1801, Shaw was honoured with 
the command of the George Washington twenty-eight, which 
was despatched, as was then customary, with stores to pro- 
pitiate Algiers. On this voyage, Shaw was absent about a 
year. On his return, finding his half-pay insufficient to sup- 
port him, for he had lately married, he applied for a furlough, 
and took command of a vessel bound to Canton. He reached 
the United States, in 1804, after an absence of eighteen 
months. Here he found that, by a law of May 22d, 1804, 



1G8 JOHN SHATT. 

the rank of master-commandant had been restored to the 
navy, and himself, with seven of the oldest lieutenants, pro- 
moted to it. The war with Tripoli was now raging, with 
Preble at the head of a fleet ; and gun-boats being very desi- 
rable to that officer, but difficult to get in the Mediterranean, 
Shaw, early in 1805, addressed a letter to the Secretary, 
offering to carry a flotilla of these craft to the assistance of 
the commodore. The return of Preble, who seconded Shaw's 
views, induced government to construct the boats ; but Shaw 
himself was advanced to the John Adams twenty-eight, in 
which ship he sailed for the Mediterranean in May, having 
three of the gun-boats in company. On his arrival abroad, 
however, peace had been declared, and accordingly, he soon 
after returned to the United States. 

In January, 1806, Shaw was ordered to New Orleans, 
with directions to construct a flotilla of gun-boats, for the de- 
fence of the Mississippi. In this command he displayed 
great energy, especially at the period of Burr's supposed con- 
spiracy. On the 27th of August, 1807, he was promoted to 
the rank of posi^captain ; and, in that capacity, towards the 
close of the year, sat on the court-martial which tried Barron 
for the affair of the Chesapeake. In May, 1808, he was 
placed in command of the navy-yard at Norfolk, where he 
remained until August, 1810, when he was transferred to 
New Orleans, with orders to prepare for defending that city 
in case of a war with Great Britain. He remained at this 
port until towards the close of the war that broke out with 
that power in 1812; and, in 1813, when General Wilkinson 
seized Mobile, commanded the maritime part of the expedi- 
tion. In the spring of 1814, he was transferred to the com- 
mand of the squadron lying in the Thames, between New 
London and Norwich. This Uttle fleet being blockaded, 
however, by a superior force, Shaw never got to sea, and 
hence reaped no additional laurels. Fortune, which had 
favoured him so much in the French war, now proved ad- 



JOHN SHAW. 169 

verse ; but he could well afford, to be without new distinc- 
tions, having already obtained so many. 

In September, 1815, several months after peace had been 
declared, Shaw was ordered to the Mediterranean in the 
United States forty-four. The return of Bainbridge home 
left Shaw in command of the squadron in that sea, and he 
now accordingly hoisted his broad pennant as a commodore. 
The succeeding year, he was relieved by Commodore Chaun- 
cey ; but Shaw did not sail for the United States until Novem- 
ber, 1817, when he exchanged into the Constellation, that 
ship being about to return to America for repairs. This was 
the last time that Shaw went to sea. He was placed in 
command of the Boston navy-yard, and subsequently in that 
of Charleston. He did not survive long, however ; for during 
a visit to Philadelphia, he was taken ill, and died in that 
city, on the 17th of September, 1823. 

In character. Commodore Shaw was equally distinguished 
for probity and sincerity. His manner was warm and popu- 
lar, nor did his heart belie his demeanour. As a seaman, he 
was brave, active, ready, decided. His personal appearance 
was extremely prepossessing. 




\ 



EDWAKD PREBLE. 



The hero of the war with Tripoli was Edward Preble. 
Under him, the American squadron, so often baffled by the 
Barbary powers, became victorious ; and the stain of paying 
tribute to a foreign flag was wiped from our escutcheon. It 
is doubtful whether the naval service of the United States 
has ever shown a rival to Preble in those great qualities 
required for a commander of fleets. Comprehensive in intel- 
lect, patient in preparation, resolute, far-seeing, prudent, and 
brave, he obtained success, not as some others have done, 
through the intervention of a benignant fate, but by fairly 
wresting victory from fortune. 

Preble was born on the 15th of August, 1761, on that 
part of Falmouth Neck, in the then province of Maine, on 
which the present town of Portland has been built. His 
family was one of the oldest in the colonies, having settled 
in Scituate, Massachusetts, in 1636, whence it removed to 
Maine in 1645. His father was a man of influence in the 
colony, having been captain in a colonial regiment at the 
170 



EDTTARD PREBLE. • 173 

taking of Quebec, and subsequently a brigadier-general. The 
sire survived until 1783. The old soldier adopted the patri- 
otic side in the war of independence, and, after the peace, 
served both as State senator and judge under the new State 
constitution. He died at the venerable age of seventy-seven, 
full of years and honours. 

From his earliest childhood, young Preble displayed that 
resolute courage and that inflexibility of purpose which 
characterized him as a man. Numerous anecdotes to this 
effect are told by his biographers. We shall quote but one. 
Preble, in an encounter with a playmate, had given a blow, 
which covered his face with blood. On the boy presenting 
himself at school, and accusing Preble as the cause of his 
misfortune, the preceptor, a man of quick passions, angrily 
seized the fire-shovel and rushed at the offender. Preble, 
though he knew the master's passionate disposition, never 
moved, but looked him steadily in the eye, on which the 
teacher, directing the blow a little to one side, missed him 
and struck the desk. Again the missile was raised, again it 
threatened the boy, and again he regarded his preceptor 
without qu^ailing. The master, at this, dropped his weapon, 
and turned away, saying, " The fellow will make a general 
some of these days." 

This inflexibility of character was displayed, however, as 
well for the wrong as for the right. Preble appears indeed 
to have been, in his boyhood, almost uncontrollable, though 
his education is in part to blame for this. On one occasion, 
his father was about to sail on an excursion to some neigh- 
bouring islands, with a party of gentlemen ; and the lad de- 
siring to accompany them, when there was scarcely room, 
the old general despatched him to perform a task, promising 
to take him if he completed it in time. To the astonishment 
of the parent, Preble made his appearance just as the boat 
was pushing off, having finished his task. The general now 
sought to evade his promise, giving the true reason, which 



174 * EDWARD PREBLE. 

he should have told at first; but the boy, indignant at the 
deception, flew into a passion and began to shower stones on 
the party. At this, the father laughingly put back, and took 
the lad in. The usual conduct of the general to his son ap- 
pears, indeed, to have been a mixture of injustice and indul- 
gence; the very worst treatment possible, for a disposition 
like that of Preble. 

The lad, however, enjoyed the advantage of a better edu- 
cation than was usual ; for his father, intending him for a 
learned profession, sent him to a respectable academy, where, 
among other acquisitions, he made considerable proficiency 
in the Latin tongue. The approach of war, however, induced 
him to abandon his studies. His native place, Falmouth, 
having been sacked by some British cruisers, the old general, 
with others of the whig iMhabitants, withdrew to the interior. 
Here, on a farm owned by the elder Preble, the lad was oc- 
cupied for a while in agricultural pursuits. But this mode 
of life soon became irksome to him, and one day, when about 
sixteen, with his usual wilfulness, he left the field where his 
brothers were labouring, declaring that he would work no 
longer. He had long desired to become a sailor, but this 
wish his father had always opposed; and now, taking the 
matter into his own hands, he repaired to Falmouth, and 
shipped on board a letter-of-marque bound for England. The 
first information the family had of him after his flight, was 
that he was on the point of sailing. The old general, be- 
lieving that a single voyage would cure the runaway, refused 
to interfere ; and thus Preble became a sailor. 

It was, indeed, the vocation for which nature intended 
him, as his friends soon confessed. The letter-of-marque was 
absent some time, and, on its return, experienced very tem- 
pestuous weather, in which young Preble rendered himself 
of great service. The general, finding his son more fasci- 
nated with the sea than ever, yielded to the predilection of 
the lad, and procured him the appointment of a midshipman 



EDWARD PREBLE. 175 

in the marine of Massachusetts. This was early in the year 
1779, when young Preble was verging towards eighteen. 
His first ship, in this new capacity, was the Protector, of 
twenty-six guns, commanded by Captain Williams. In June 
of that year, the Protector engaged the Admiral DujBf, a 
British letter-of-marque of slightly superior force; and the 
conflict had raged for an hour, with the greatest fury on both 
sides, when the Englishman caught fire and blew up. About 
fifty-five of the enemy's crew, who had jumped overboard 
before the " explosion, were picked up by the boats of the 
Protector, but the rest perished. On a second cruise, in the 
same vessel, young Preble was captured, and sent into New 
York, where he lay for a while in one of the prison-ships ; 
but the influence of his father, who was remembered by 
many of the older ofiicers of the royal army, soon procured 
his release from this species of confinement, though a long 
period elapsed before he was exchanged. It was chiefly 
through Colonel William Tyng, a friend of his father, that 
he obtained his liberty at last. 

Preble now joined the Winthrop, Captain Little, another 
state cruiser. As first lieutenant of his ship, he performed 
an action which gave him that reputation for daring and 
presence of mind which he never after lost. The Winthrop 
had captured a sloop off Penobscot, from the crew of which 
Capta,in Little learned the position of an armed brig, which, 
having previously taken iho. sioop, had sent her out manned 
to cruise for coasters. It was resolved, on this information, 
to attempt carrymg the brig by surprise. Accordingly the 
Winthrop bore down on the enemy in the night, having pre- 
pared forty men to jump into her, dressed in white frocka^ 
to enable them to distinguish friend from foe. Coming close 
upon her, he was hailed by the enemy, who supposed the 
Winthrop must be her tender, and who cried out, " You will 
run aboard!" Captain Little answered, "I am coming 
aboard," and immediately Preble, with fourteen men, sprang 



176 EDWARD PREBLE. 

into the brig. The motion of the vessel was so rapid that 
the rest missed their opportunity. Little called to his lieu- 
tenant, " Will you not have more men ?" " No," answered 
Preble, with great presence of mind and a loud voice, " we 
have more than we want ; we stand in each other's way." 
Most of the enemy's crew who were on deck leaped over the 
side, and others below from the cabin window, and swam to 
the shore, which was within pistol-shot. Preble, instantly 
entering the cabin, found the officers in bed, or just rising ; he 
assured them they were his prisoners, and that resistance 
was vain. Believing they were mastered by superior num- 
bers, they forbore any attempt to rescue the vessel, and sub- 
mitted. The troops of the enemy marched down to the 
shore, and began a brisk firing with muskets, and the bat- 
tery opened a cannonade. But the captors beat their prize 
safely out of the harbour, and took her in triumph to Boston. 
The boldness of this stratagem, and the presence of mind 
with which it was carried out, brought the name of Preble 
immediately into notice, and is considered to have been the 
cause of his promotion in the subsequent navy of the repub- 
lic. It is remarkable that, at a future day, one of his own 
lieutenants, the gallant Trippe, carried a vessel nearly in the 
same manner. Even so late as the beginning of the present 
century this deed of Preble was remembered by veteran 
seamen, and referred to in terms of high eulogium. No 
second opportunity, however, of especial distinction occurred 
to Preble during the war of independence. His services, for 
the rest of the contest, though not brilliant, were, however, 
useful. He remained in the Winthrop, in^the capacity of 
first lieutenant, actively employed on coast duty, capturing 
continually the small privateers with which the British sys- 
tematically harassed the shores of the eastern colonies. 
During this period, he was perfecting himself in his profes- 
sion, and, at the close of the contest, came out one of the 
best seamen for his age in the country. 



EDWARD PREBLE. 177 

The naval armaments of the different States as well as of 
the nation being su^Dpressed at the peace of 1783, Preble 
turned his attention to the mercantile marine, where his 
reputation for skill and knowledge of seamanship soon pro- 
cured him a ship. We shall not follow his career in detail 
through the fifteen years of quiet that ensued. During one 
portion of that period, Preble appears to have been in the 
employment of a gentleman in North Carolina; but the 
greater part of his time was spent on the sea, in command of 
different merchant vessels. In the course of this interval, 
Preble visited nearly every quarter of the globe. It was 
necessity, not choice, however, which led him to continue in 
the mercantile marine ; his tastes were all in another direc- 
tion ; and, on the first prospect of a navy, he turned his eyes 
in that quarter. Fortunately the exploit, for which he had 
become famous on board the Winthrop, was still remembered 
as among the most brilliant deeds of its kind, and this 
smoothed the way to his obtaining a prominent rank, when 
any exploit less dazzling might have failed. 

The prospect of a war with France induced Congress, as 
we have remarked in our sketch of Commodore Barry, to 
pass a law for the construction of several frigates, and for 
the organization of a permanent navy. Among the officers 
appointed was Preble. He received one of the first five com- 
missions issued to lieutenants, a flattering mark of his coun^ 
try's approbation, when we consider his comparative youth 
and his many distinguished competitors. He first served as 
acting captain of the Pickering, a brig of fourteen guns, which 
was attached to the squadron of Barry in the West Indies, 
during the years 1798 and 1799. Nothing, however, oc- 
curred to Preble in this capacity worthy of note. Towards , 
the close of 1799, he was promoted to the rank of captain, 
and appointed to the Essex of thirty-two guns, then about to 
depart on her first cruise. This was elevating him over the 
heads of others who were his seniors, but the order of pro- 



178 EDWARD PREBLE. 

motion was then not settled, and Preble's reputation stood 
unusually high*. He sailed for Batavia, in company with 
the Congress frigate, in order to convoy home the India and 
China fleet : but his consort being dismantled, it returned to 
port, and he continued the voyage alone. At the close of 
the year, he succeeded in bringing this convoy, valued at 
several millions, safely into New York. Soon after peace 
was declared with France. 

Congress now proceeded to reduce the navy. It shows 
the high estimation in which Preble was held, that, though 
many of his seniors were dismissed, he was retained on the 
list. Before the reduction there were twenty-eight captains 
and seven commanders. The last were all discharged, and 
but twelve of the former retained, yet, though Preble stood 
the twenty-first on the old list, he was made the ninth on 
the new. Three years after, in 1804, he rose to be the fifth, 
in consequence of the resignation, death, and dismissal of four 
of his seniors. During most of this interval he remained on 
shore ; partly in consequence of his marriage, which occurred 
in 1801, to Miss May Deering, a lady of family and fortune 
in his native place. For a time also, at this period, he Avas 
the victim of dyspepsia in its severest form. At last, in 
1803, he resolved to resume the active duties of his profes- 
sion, and accordingly reported himself fit for service. His 
application for employment happened at a fortunate conjunc- 
ture for himself, as the government, which hitherto had 
carried on the war with Tripoli languidly, had now resolved 
to conduct it with proper vigour ; and, in consequence, Preble 
was ordered to repair to Boston, and take command of the 
squadron destined for the Mediterranean, hoisting his broad 
pennant on board the Constitution. 

The nature and origin of the war with Tripoli have already 
been alluded to in the sketch of Dale, and will be explained 
at more length in that of Decatur. This latter officer, rather 
than Preble, is, in popular estimation, the hero of that strug- 



EDWARD PREBLE. 179 

gle. But, witliout impairing the claims of the junior, who 
well won, by a series of dazzling exploits, his proud title of 
the " Champion of Christendom," we must, in fiirness, accord 
to the senior the merit of having planned, or made himself 
responsible, for all the principal actions of the war. The 
squadron consisted of the Constitution forty-four, Commodore 
Preble ; the Philadelphia thirty-eight, Capt. Bainbridge ; the 
Argus sixteen, Lt. Com. Decatur; the Siren sixteen, Lt. 
Com. Stewart; the Enterprise twelve, Lt. Com. Hull; the 
Nautilus twelve, Lt. Com. Somers ; and the Vixen twelve, 
Lt. Com. Smith. Never, perhaps, did a force of equal size 
put to sea, with the same array of gallant young officers in 
command. Each vessel, as was then the custom, sailed as 
soon as it was ready. The Constitution was the third to get 
to sea. She left Boston on the loth of August, 1803, and 
reached Gibraltar on the 12th of the ensuing month. Here 
an incident occurred, which, by the spirit it displayed in the 
commodore, and by the confidence it imparted to the crew, 
exercised the happiest influence on the subsequent events of 
the cruise. 

One dark nighty when the Constitution was near the Straits, 
a strange man-of-war was discerned close at hand. Preble 
instantly went to quarters, and hailed the other vessel. The 
stranger made no reply, however, but hailed in turn. On 
this, Preble ordered the name of his ship to be given, and 
that of the other to be demanded under penalty of a shot. 
The stranger answered that he would relurn a broadside in 
such an event. Losing patience at this, Preble sprang into 
the mizzen-rigging himself, and called out, through his trum- 
pet : — " This is the United States ship Constitution forty-four, 
Edward Preble. I am about to hail you for the last time ; 
if you do not answer, I shall give you a broadside. What 
ship is that? Blow your matches, boys." The man-of-war 
now answered : — " This is his Britannic majesty's ship Don- 
negal, a razee of sixty guns." Preble declared he did not 

13 



180 EDWARD PREBLE. 

believe it, and announced his determination to the stranger 
to remain by him till morning. In a sliort time, however, a 
boat came from the man-of-war to explain. The stranger 
was the British frigate Maidstone, and the Constitution had 
come so unexpectedly upon her, that the delay in answering 
had been made, and the false name given, in order to gain 
time to clear the ship for action. 

Having renewed a treaty with the emperor of Morocco, 
and thus removed an important enemy in his rear, Preble 
held a consultation with his officers prior to proceeding in 
the direction of Tripoli. It is understood that, at this inter- 
view, the young commanders, prejudiced against the commo- 
dore in consequence of his quick temper, and also because he 
was little known in the service, having been in the East 
Indies or on shore since the re-organization of the navy, ex- 
hibited their want of sympathy with him by their silence, 
leaving him to suggest as well as to command every thing. 
This behaviour hurt the feelings of Preble, and he regretted, 
it is said, having accepted his post. Nevertheless he did not 
neglect his duty. He proclaimed the blockade of Tripoli, 
though he had scarcely done so, when he heard at Malta that 
Bainbridge had been captured in the Philadelpliia. The cruise 
opened thus under the most unfavourable circumstances, yet 
he resolved to leave nothing undone on his part to render 
it successful. He first hastened to Syracuse, where he es- 
tablished a point of rendezvous, and then sailed to Tripoli to 
reconnoitre the port. It was while lying off this place that 
the first idea of burning the Philadelphia was conceived. 
The tempestuous character of the weather forcing the squad- 
ron to return to Syracuse, Preble despatched Decatur and 
Stewart on that eventful enterprise, whose brilliant success 
will be narrated in its proper place. The Philadelphia being 
destroyed, Preble began to make preparations for a grand 
attack on Tripoli. With but a single frigate at his disposal, 
this was a difficult undertaking ; and in nothing is his ability 



EDWARD PREBLE. 181 

shown SO much as in the forethought he now displayed. 
" He ascertained his wants," says the most discriminating of 
his biographers, " supplied the deficiencies in the best manner 
he could, and when the moment arrived, ajDplied his means 
with an intelligence and activity that showed he possessed 
the qualities of a great commander." When we recollect 
that he succeeded with a force of but one frigate and five 
smaller vessels, when his predecessor achieved nothing with 
five frigates and one other vessel, we begin to comprehend 
the merits of Preble. 

Never, perhaps, was a ship more actively employed than 
the Constitution during these preliminary arrangements. 
Almost constantly at sea, but continually touching at differ- 
ent ports, she was, for the time, the counterpart of the energy, 
decision, and unwearied activit}^ of the commodore. Though 
he looked into the harbour of Tripoli twice, he made no at- 
tempt on the town, reserving himself, like a wise man, for a 
time when he should be fully prepared. At length, having 
completed his arrangements, he appeared before the hostile 
port, oji the 25 th of July, 1804, with a fleet of sixteen sail, 
all, however, being small, except the Constitution. With this 
force he was able to bring only twenty-eight long heavy guns 
to bear on the enemy, and twenty long light guns. On the 
other hand, the Tripolitans had one hundred and eighteen 
heavy guns in battery, besides nineteen gun-boats that alone 
threw a weight of metal equal to the frigate's broadside. 
The disparity between the men engaged on the two sides 
was even greater ; the squadron mustered but one thousand 
and sixty souls all told, while the bashaw had thirty thou- 
sand, either actively engaged, or within sustaining distance. 
Scarcely, however, had the fleet appeared off* the town, when 
a furious tempest arose, compelling Preble to put to sea ; nor 
was it until the 3d of August that he was able to collect his 
scattered forces and once more face the foe. 

To comprehend fully the series of combats that followed, 



182 EDWARD PREBLE. 

it is necessary to pay some attention to the topography of the 
approaches to Tripoli. " The harbour lies in a shallow in- 
dentation of the coast," says a careful writer, " being tolerably 
protected against easterly and westerly gales by the forma- 
tion of the land, while a reef of rocks, which stretches for a 
mile and a half in a northeasterly course, commencing at the 
town itself, breaks the seas that roll in from the northward. 
This reef extends near half a mile from the walls, entirely 
above water, and is of sufficient height and width to receive 
water batteries, containing the lazaretto and one or two 
forts. It is this commencement of the reef which constitutes 
what is usually termed the mole, and behind it lies the har- 
bour proper. At its termination is a narrow opening in the 
reef which is called the western entrance, through which it 
is possible for a ship to pass, though the channel is not more 
than two hundred feet in width. Beyond this passage the 
rocks reappear, with intervals between them, though lying 
on shoals with from one half to five and a half feet of water 
on them. The line of rocks and shoals extends more than 
a mile outside of the western entrance. Beyond its termina- 
tion is the principal entrance to Tripoli, which is of sufficient 
width, though not altogether free from shoals. The distance 
across the bay, from the north-eastern extremity of the rocks 
to what is called the English fort, on the main land, is about 
two thousand yards, or quite within the effective range of 
heavy guns. In the bottom of the bay, or at the south-east- 
ern angle of the town, stands the bashaw's castle, a work of 
some size and force. It lies rather more than half a mile 
from the western entrance, and somewhat more than a mile 
from the outer extremity of the reef. Thus any thing within 
the rocks is commanded by all the water defences of the 
place, while shot from the castle, and more especially from 
the natural mole, would reach a considerable distance into 
the offing. Some artificial works aided in rendering the 
north-western corner of the harbour still more secuje, and 



EDWARD PREBLE. 183 

tliis place is usually called the galley mole. Near this is the 
ordinary landing, and it is the spot that may properly be 
termed the port." 

The Tripolitans had anchored nine of their largest gun- 
boats just outside of what are called the Harbour Rocks, or 
the north-eastern extremity of the reef This was done, 
evidently with a view of flanking the expected attack on 
the town. Accustomed to cannonading at the distance of a 
mile, these gun-boats expected no warmer service, especially 
as a nearer approach would bring their assailants within 
reach of the castle and batteries. In addition to the nine 
boats to the eastward, there were five others which also lay 
along the line of rocks nearer to the western entrance, and 
within pistol-shot of the batteries in that part of the defences. 
Within the reef were five more gun-boa.ts and several heavy 
galleys, ready to protect the outer Hne of gun-boats at need, 
constituting a reserve. 

Preble had borrowed six gun-boats from the King of 
Naples, but they were of inferior size. With these, how- 
ever, he determined to attack the nine gun-boats outside the 
Harbour Rocks, hoping, in addition to the moral effect the 
assault would produce in the town, to capture them, and 
thus obtain boats better suited for his purpose. He accord- 
ingly signalled the squadron to come within speaking dis- 
tance, when he communicated to the several commanders his 
intention to attack the shipping and batteries simultaneously. 
The gun-boats were immediately manned, as were also the 
mortar boats. The gun-boats were in two divisions of three 
each. The first division was led by Lieut. Com. Somers, 
supported by Lieutenants James Decatur and Blake. The 
second division was under Lieut. Com. Decatur, sustained by 
Lieutenants Bainbridge and Trippe. The two bombards 
were commanded by Lieut. Com. Dent, and by Lieutenant 
Robinson. At half-past one, p. m., on the 3d of August, 
1804, the squadron stood for the batteries : at two the gun- 



184 EDWARD PREBLE. 

boats were cast off: at half-past two, the signal was made 
for the bombs and boats to advance and attack : and at half- 
pas|; three, the signal was given for general action. Instantly 
the bombards began to throw shells into the town. The 
enemy's batteries replied with the roar of two hundred guns ; 
and this being answered by the squadron, now within mus- 
ket-shot, the battle commenced. 

Preble had directed Somers and Decatur, each wdth his 
division, to concentrate their attack on the nine gun-boats 
at the outside of the Harbour Kocks ; because here the enemy 
was furthest from the support of his batteries, though still 
under cover. Decatur's division, being to windward m the 
American line, easily reached the desired point ; so did also 
one of the boats of Somers ; but Somers himself, in conse- 
quence of his vessel being a dull sailer, and far to leeward, 
could not do this. l)ecatur, however, dashed into the midst 
of the foe with his division, throwing in a terrible discharge 
of grape and musketry, under cover of which he reached 
the Tripolitan gun-boats and gave the command to board. 
Having carried one boat, he took her in tow and bore do^sMi 
on a second. Here the memorable conflict occurred in which 
he nearly lost his life, and which will be described at length 
in our sketch of that hero. 

Meantime, Lieutenant Trippe, emulating the example of 
his gallant leader, boarded another of the enemy's boats, ac- 
companied by a single midshipman, Mr. Jonathan Hanley, 
and nine men. His boat falhng off before more of its crew 
could follow, he was left to conquer or die, with the fear- 
ful odds of thirty-six against his little band of eleven. 
After a terrible struggle, however, he prevailed, but not until 
he had received eleven sabre cuts. Fourteen of the enemy 
lost their lives in this sanguinary melee. Lieutenant Bain- 
bridge did not get fully into action, his boat grounding ; but 
he did much damage with his musketry, and finally escaped 
safely. Somers, as we have said, could not reach far enough 



EDWARD PREBLE. 185 

to windward to assist Decatur, but, turning on the leeward 
division of the enemy's gun-boats, he engaged single-handed 
the whole five vessels, and finally, after a most heroic strug- 
gle, drove them within the rocks for shelter. Lieutenant 
Decatur succeeded in reaching his brother, when he attacked 
and carried one of the Tripolitan boats ; but was shot by the 
captain of the prize after the surrender, a baseness which the 
elder brother fearfully avenged. 

Meanwhile the enemy's vessels inside the rocks had not 
been idle. Joined by the boats driven in, they twice at- 
tempted to sally out ; but were as often forced back by the 
fire of the squadron. The Constitution, during all this 
period, was moving actively to and fro, the presiding genius 
of the struggle, Preble in person overlooking the whole. 
Several times she was comparatively close to the batteries, 
every one of which she silenced in passing ; but, as soofi as 
she changed her position, they opened again. The roar of 
artillery was almost incessant. Bombs hissed through the 
air, bounded from the stone walls of the batteries, or exploded 
in the water. The impetuous manner in which the Ameri- 
cans fought, and the dexterity with which they handled 
their guns, appalled the Tripolitans. From the showers of 
grape-shot they soon sought refuge behind their walls, and 
in consequence, most of the Turkish shot passed over the as- 
sailants, those who pointed the guns being afraid to expose 
their heads above the parapets. At last, after two hours of 
incessant combat, the commodore, perceiving that the enemy's 
boats had retired generally behind shelter, and that further 
persistence in the attack was useless at present, gave the sig- 
nal for recall. The gun-boats accordingly drew out of the 
action with their prizes, and, being taken in tow by the 
schooners and brigs of the squadron, were speedily safe be- 
yond range of the Tripolitan shot. The manoeuvre was 
handsomely covered by the fire of the Constitution. 

This daring attack, with a force comparatively so small, 



186 EDWARD PREBLE.- 

produced a powerful impression on the bashaw. At first, 
when the squadron was seen standing in, he affected to de- 
spise the efforts of the Americans, and said contemptuously, 
" These fellows will mark their distance, and tack before 
they come within range; they are a sort of Jews, and have 
no idea of fighting." Meantime the palace and the terraces 
of the houses were crowded with spectators, all expecting to 
behold the discomfiture of the Americans, if they approached 
too near. But this feeling of triumph was of short duration. 
When the Constitution, sfeinding gallantly in, delivered her 
tempest of iron hail, and the bomb vessels made the whole 
firmament roar with their shells, consternation seized the 
lookers on, and they fled in every direction. Soon not a 
hving soul was seen on shore, except in the batteries ; while 
the bashaw himself, it is said, fled to a bomb-proof room. 
The captives of the Philadelphia beheld the gallant demean- 
our of their countrymen with beating hearts, and could 
scarcely refrain from huzzas as the broadsides of the com- 
modore's ship echoed in thunders along the hill. "Are these 
men outside Americans," asked an intelligent Turk of one 
of the prisoners, " or are they devils in Christian shape ?" 

Having hauled off beyond range of shot, Preble awaited 
his commanders on board the flag-ship, in order to hear their 
reports and deliver them directions for the future. It was 
now that a scene occurred, so characteristic of the commo- 
dore's good, as well as bad qualities, that its narration can- 
not be omitted. His whole plan of attack, as we have said, 
had been based on the desire of possessing himself of the nine 
gun-boats outside Harbour Rocks, and when he found the 
scheme had failed in part, his disappointment increased the 
natural acerbity of his temper to such a degree as, for a mo- 
ment, to deprive him of the control of himself When there- 
fore, Decatur sprang on deck, and said, " Well, commodore, 
I have brought you out three of the gun-boats," Preble 
seized the speaker by the collar in a fit of rage, and shaking 



EDWARD PREBLE. 187 

it, said, "Ay, sir, why did you not bring me out more?" 
Decatur's hand instinctively sought a dirk he wore in his 
bosom, but the commodore had already disappeared in his 
cabin. With extreme difficulty could those present restrain 
the insulted officer from leaving the ship ; and he was still 
in suspense, when the cabin steward appeared and announced 
to Decatur that Preble wished to see him. After the hesita- 
tion of a moment, Decatur complied with this implied com- 
mand. Soon after, an officer who could presume on his rank, 
and who felt uneasy at leaving the commodore and his lieu- 
tenant together, descended also to the cabin. He found the 
two seated amicably together, within a few feet of each 
other, both silent, and both in tears. Preble had apologized 
for the rudeness into which disease and chagrin had com- 
bined to hurry him ; and Decatur, at this unexpected mag- 
nanimity, had been completely subdued. From that mo- 
ment, all was forgotten. 

After the attack of the 3d of August, the Tripolitan gun- 
boats ventured no more outside the reef. Preble, meantime, 
was altering the rig of the captured vessels, in order to em- 
ploy them in a second assault, which he contemplated. 
Having perfected his arrangements, he advanced on the 7th 
to the combat. Another fierce action between the American 
and Tripolitan gun-boats ensued, in the course of which Lieu- 
tenant Caldwell, in one of the boats, was blown up. But 
this disaster was not allowed to stop the battle, and for two 
hours longer, the conflict raged unabated. After the struggle 
had continued from half-past two until half-past five, the 
commodore made the signal for recall. The action had been 
very severe for the American gun-boats ; but it was believed 
that the enemy had suffered even more. The character of 
Preble, in one respect, is illustrated by an incident of this 
action. Lt. Com. Stewart, in the Siren, having manifested 
a disposition to close with the enemy's galleys without a sig- 
nal, he was sternly rebuked for it after the combat by the 



188 . EDWARD PREBLE. 

commodore. To use the words of another, Preble " was dis- 
posed to hold his whole command in hand, like a skilful 
coachman managing his team." In short, as commander-in- 
chief, he enforced the strictest discipline, so that it was al- 
most as unsafe to fight without orders as to run away. 

In consequertce of these two attacks, the bashaw became 
more disposed to treat, and consented to waive his claim to 
tribute for the future, provided a ransom of five hundred 
dollars apiece was paid for the crew of the Philadelphia. 
Preble, however, refused to accede to these ofiers, for he 
hoped soon to receive an accession of ships from home, in 
which case he expected to dictate his own terms. The John 
Adams twenty-eight, just come out as a store-ship, announced 
the intention of the government to despatch such a force ; 
and the commodore resolved to delay further proceedings 
until its arrival. But having waited in vain for the expected 
squadron, he determined to make a third assault on the 16th. 
A tempest, however, blew him ofi" the harbour, so that it was 
the 28th before the assault occurred. On this occasion he 
left his bomb-vessels outside, and went to work with solid 
shot. The gun-boats ran in under cover of the night, and 
opened a heavy fire on the enemy's shipping. The Consti- 
tution, at daybreak, joined the battle, when Preble, finding 
the enemy's gun-boats in overpowering force, and wishing 
to save his ammunition, ordered his own to withdraw. He 
did not, however, retire with the smaller craft, but stood on 
until within musket-shot of the mole, when he backed his 
topsail and lay for nearly an hour, maintaining a constant 
cannonade, until his gun-boats were all safely out of reach of 
the batteries. This was the hottest affair that had yet oc- 
curred. 

On the 3d of September, Preble made another attack. In 
the interval the enemy had recruited their gun-boats, and 
had altered their plans for the defence of the town. Formerly 
the gun-boats had remaijaed in front of the city to await the 



EDWARD PREBLE. 189 

assault, by which means every shot that missed them passed 
into Tripoli ; but, on this occasion, they got under way as 
soon as they saw the Americans in motion, and worked up 
to the weather-side of the harbour, where they were covered 
behind by some forts, and defended in front by shoals. 
Preble, perceiving this alteration, despatched Decatur with 
the light vessels of the squadron against this flotilla, while 
he himself stood in with the Constitution, to cover the bomb- 
vessels, which attacked on the western side of the harbour. 
Heaving to at a point where he could bring his guns to bear 
on all the principal works, he opened the hottest fire which 
the blockade had yet witnessed. For more than an hour 
the bay rocked with incessant explosions. The bomb-vessels 
had never ajDproached the enemy so closely before, nor did 
equal damage; but neither were they ever in such peril 
themselves. One of them was nearly sunk, and the other 
was much injured. All the small vessels suffered. The 
Constitution, while in action, threw more than three hundred 
round shot at the Tripolitans, besides grape and canister; 
while each of the eight cannon on board the gun-boats was 
discharged fifty times. The commodore's ship was cut up 
considerably in the rigging, but received no serious injuries 
otherwise, though encircled by the batteries of the foe. 

Two days after this last attack, Preble, ever seeking to 
annoy the enemy, sent in the Intrepid as a fire-ship to destroy 
the enemy's vessels. The Intrepid was the ketch made 
memorable by its agency in the burning of the Philadelphia. 
The command of it was now bestowed on Lt. Com. Somers, 
who, with a picked crew, set forth, on the night of the 5th, 
on his hazardous enterprise. The full details of this melan- 
choly expedition are reserved for our sketch of the ill-fated 
Somers. It is sufficient here to say, that the ketch gained 
the western entrance of the harbour, and was within five 
hundred yards of her destination, when she suddenly ex- 
ploded, with the loss of every life on board. It was sur- 



190 EDWARD PREBLE. 

mised by Preble at the time, that Somers blew himself up, to 
prevent falling into the hands of the enemy ; but facts since 
discovered lead to the belief that a shot from one of the bat- 
teries, striking a nail on board the ketch, produced a spark, 
which ignited the loose powder on board the Intrepid. This 
was the last attempt made by Preble on Tripoli. He projected 
indeed another assault, but the weather compelled him to de- 
sist, and on the 7th, he withdrew most of his smaller craft 
from the place, remaining, in the Constitution, with the Ar- 
gus and Vixen, to continue the blockade. On the 10th, the 
long-expected squadron from home appeared, under the com- 
mand of Barron ; and there being now a senior officer present 
in the Mediterranean, Preble withdrew to Malta, where he 
soon after gave up his ship to Decatur, and proceeded to 
America. 

It was always a source of regret to Preble that he was 
supplanted at this juncture. There can be no question but 
that, with this additional force, he would have brought affiiirs 
to a crisis with the Tripolitans. AVith a single frigate, he 
had already done more to annoy the enemy than any prede- 
cessor ; and, if he had been assisted by one or two competent 
consorts, would before this have dictated peace at the can- 
non's mouth. At the time the reinforcements were sent out, 
the authorities at home were not aware of Preble's exploits, 
or they would not have interfered with so brilliant a career ; 
but, ignorant of this, they naturally yielded to the wish of 
others to serve, and despatched two seniors, which was in 
effect to relieve him. Thus ended a campaign, in which thle 
flag of the United States was first raised to eminence in the 
old world, and which gave a tone to the infant navy which 
it has ever since retained. During the entire month in which 
Preble was before Tripoli, he had but tliirty men killed, and 
twenty-four wounded. As he was about to sail, he received 
a letter from the officers who had served under him, express- 
ing their high sense of his character and services. When 



EDWARD PREBLE. ' 191 

we consider his unpopularity at the beginning of the block- 
ade, and the general impetuosity of his temper, we must pro- 
nounce this a signal proof of his skill as a commander and 
his worth as a man. But if Preble had been passionate, he 
had also been just, and the merits of every man had been 
appreciated and rewarded. 

Preble, on arriving in the United States, proceeded at 
once to Washington, which he reached on the 4th of March, 
1805. Congress voted ]\im, and all who had served under 
him, the thanks of the nation ; and bestowed on him, in ad- 
dition, a gold medal, and swords on various of his officers. 
The President, though differing in politics from him, soon 
after honoured him with the offer of the Secretaryship of 
War ; but the state of his health, which began to give way 
rapidly under the derangement of his digestive organs, com- 
pelled him to decline. He superintended the construction of 
some heavy gun-boats, however, which had been ordered to 
be built for the Tripolitan war ; and purchased two suitable 
bomb-vessels, under the orders of government. Everywhere 
he was received with distinction, especially by those abler 
minds, who were capable of appreciating the fact, that he 
had displayed, by his combinations, some of the very highest 
qualities of his profession. The nation at large did not, it is 
true, follow liis footsteps with those noisy demonstrations 
which have since attended the return of other successful 
heroes ; but it must be remembered that the most dazzling 
exploits of the war had seemed to be the work of others, 
though perhaps first proposed, and certainly finally directed 
by the commodore. Posterity has been more just, however, 
and the fame of Preble, even in the popular estimation, stands 
deservedly high. 

Soon after the commodore's return to the United States, 
his malady assumed the character of a wasting consumption. 
He tried various remedies, but in vain, and even made a 
short voyage, at the suggestion of his physician. This 



192 EDWARD PREBLE. 

remedy, however, as well as all others failing, he returned 
to his native place, Portland, in the summer of 1807, to die. 
His family and friends watched about his bedside, and sought 
every method to alleviate his sufferings. At last, on the 
25th of August, he breathed his last. The closing words of 
the hero were addressed to his favourite brother : — " Give me 
your hand, Enoch," he said, " I'm going, give me your hand." 
In person Preble was of a dignified, imposing presence. 
He was about six feet in height, and of an active, rather 
than a large frame. Notwithstanding his quick temper, he 
had a good heart; and in his domestic relations especially 
was kind and affectionate. 




EZPL08I0N OF THE IKTBEFID. 




KICHAED SOMEES. 



The name of Richard Somers will always be dear to 
Americans, for it recalls the fate of a gallant officer, w^ho, at 
the very dawn of what promised to be an unusually brilliant 
career, fell a martyr to duty, being blown up, on the nighfr 
of the 4th of September, 1804, in an attempt to carry a fire- 
ship into the harbour of Tripoli. 

The grandfather of Richard Somers emigrated from Eng- 
land to America in the early part of the last century, and 
established himself at Great Egg Harbour, in what is now 
Atlantic county. New Jersey. Here he became possessed of 
considerable landed property, and gave his name to a place 
on the north side of the harbour, still called Somers's Point. 
The son of the emigrant, Colonel Richard Somers, Was a 
man of considerable note in his day, a judge of the county 
court, and a member of the Provincial Congress of 1775. He 
was a prominent patriot during the war of independence, 
and became so obnoxious to the British, that it was thought 
advisable for him to remove to Philadelphia, lest a descent 
should be made on Somers's Point for the purpose of making 

14 195 



196 RICHARD SOMERS. 

hini prisoner. This worthy sire of a worthy son died in 1794, 
at the age of fifty-four. 

Richard, the subject of our sketch, was the youngest of 
three children; and was born in 1779, at tlie family estate, 
a short period before his father's removal to Philadelphia. 
He first attended school in the city, and subsequently at 
Burlington, New Jersey, at which place there was, at that 
day, an academy of considerable reputation. 

Though Somers inherited from his father a resjDectable 
property, consisting of a portion of the original family estate, 
as well as of some lands in the interior of Pennsylvania, his 
love of adventure induced him at the early age of fifteen, 
shortly after the death of Colonel Somers, to embark on 
board a coaster, probably owned by some relative, first as a 
common seaman, and subsequently as mate. The lad had 
already displayed a firmness of character, united to a chival- 
rous sense of honour, that filled his family with a profound 
respect for him, and led them to desire for him a loftier 
vocation. Accordingly, in 1798, a midshipman's warrant 
was procured for Somers ; and, in July of that year, he went 
to sea in the United States forty-four, then making her first 
voyage under the broad pennant of Commodore Barry. Ilis 
knowledge of the ocean was already sufficiently extensive to 
obtain for him the post of master's mate of the hold, a situa- 
tion always given, in that day, to the most" experienced and 
trustworthy of the midshipmen. Among his messmates in 
the steerage was' Stephen Decatur. Between these two chi- 
valrous young men there soon arose a strong personal friend- 
ship, which not even professional rivalry could weaken, and 
which endured unabated until Somers's untimely death. 

Promotion was rapid, in the infancy of the navy. Before 
a year had elapsed, Somers was third lieutenant of the United 
States, and, when the war closed in 1800, her second lieu- 
tenant. He had earned a high reputation moreover, not only 
as a seaman, but as a bold, and skilful officer. Accordingly, 



RICHARD SOMERS. 197 

at the formation of the peace establishment, in 1801, he was 
retained as twelfth lieutenant, in a list that numbered but 
thirty-six officers of that rank. He was now appointed first 
lieutenant to the Boston twenty-eight, which vessel was about 
to sail for France, in order to carry out Chancellor Living- 
ston, the new minister to that nation. After landing the am- 
bassador, the Boston proceeded to the Mediterranean, where 
she cruised until towards the close of 1802. Though Com- 
modore Dale was then before Tripoli, and subsequently Com- 
modore Morris, the commander of the Boston, either by 
accident or design, never joined the American squadron. 
When Somers returned to the United States, he found that 
Congress, conviijced of the necessity of employing small *^es- 
sels as well as large in the war with Tripoli, had ordered the 
construction of four schooners of not more than sixteen guns. 
These vessels were the Siren sixteen; the Argus sixteen; 
the Nautilus twelve ; and the Vixen twelve. The Nautilus 
was given to Somers, who now, in consequence o'f resigna- 
tions, stood seventh on the list. He was only twenty-four 
years of age, when he assumed his first, and alas ! his last 
command. 

Of all the Mediterranean squadron, which subsequently 
became so celebrated under Preble, the Nautilus was the first 
to sail. Somers left the United States early in the summer 
of 1803, and reached Gibraltar on the 27th of July. When 
Preble arrived out, the Nautilus formed part of the force 
with which the commodore made his successful demonstra- 
tion against the emperor of Morocco. During the following 
winter and spring, Somers, in his little schooner, was engaged 
in convoying, or in carrying orders necessary to the prepara- 
tions making for the coming season. At last, towards the 
close of July, 1804, Preble, having collected all his forces, 
sailed for Tripoli. Never, perhaps, did a squadron, com- 
paratively so small, boast so many heroic young men among 
its officers. There were Hull, and Stewart, and Decatur, 



198 RICHARD SOBERS. 

names that afterwards stood high on the roll of fame. There, 
too, was Somers, destined to enjoy only a glimpse of glory, 
before the grim skeleton death hurried him off the stage for 
ever. Each heart was buoyant with hope. Life, so far, had 
been prosperous to all, and when ambition waved her glitter- 
ing lure, they entered on the race full of sanguine anticipa- 
tions. Nor was the mutual rivalry, inseparable from their 
relations, suffered to affect their intimacy; each was gene- 
rous to the other, while striving to excel ; for none sought to 
succeed by little arts, but by the achievement of deeds worthy 
of such a band of heroes. 

In the first attack on Tripoli, Somers commanded one of 
the two divisions of gun-boats, and shared in the glory of the 
day, second only to Decatur. Owing to his position, Somers 
could not fetch into his appointed division of the enemy, 
but, with lion-like intrepidity, he turned to leeward, and 
singly engaged the v/hole division in that direction. In this 
daring attack he was unsupported by the other two gun- 
boats under his command, circumstances having separated 
them from him. The wind blowing directly towards the 
foe, Somers M-as compelled either to anchor, or employ sweeps 
to keep backing his vessel astern ; he chose the latter, and 
thus remained, with his single boat, within pistol-shot of five 
Tripolitan ones, while his long guji swept their decks inces- 
santly, delivering bags of a thousand musket balls at each 
discharge. Under this awful fire, the enemy, though at first 
stubbornly resisting, was finally compelled to retire. The 
struggle continued for two hours, during all which time 
Somers received no support, except from the covering fire of 
the vessels outside. When the fight had raged for this 
period, the Constitution stood in, and made a signal of re- 
call, on which Somers, assisted by her batteries, brought out 
his boat in triumph. 

In the second attack, made on the 7th of August, Soncer* 
added fresh laurels to his brow. On this occasion, he again 



RICHARD SOMERS. 199 

led the first division of gun-boats, and had a narrow escape 
from death. In going into action, he stood leaning against 
the flag-staff, when suddenly he saw a shot' flying towards 
him. Involuntarily he bowed his head, and, strange to say, 
the ball cut the flag-staff immediately above him, and so close 
to his head that, if he had not moved, he would hav^ been 
killed. On this day, the gun-boats were three hours in ac- 
tion ; and one of them, the Siren, Lieutenant Caldwell, blew 
up. Towards the close of the battle, a strange sail hove in 
sight, which proved to be the John Adams twenty-eight, 
with news of the promotion of Decatur to be a post-captain, 
as a reward for the burning of the Philadelphia. The same 
vessel brought out intelligence of the restoration of the rank 
of commander to the navy, and the appointment of Somers 
as seventh on the list of this new grade. In consequence of 
these changes, Decatur, who had been the junior of Somers, 
now outranked him ; and though this awoke no improper 
envy in the latter's bosom, it doubtless stimulated him in 
secret to' achieve something which should advance him to 
an equal grade. 

Two attacks followed on Tripoli, one on the 28th of 
August, and the other on the 3d of September ; and in both 
Somers participated, displaying his usual gallantry. But the 
season was drawing to a close. Anxious to finish it with 
some brilliant exploit, which should, if possible, rival that of 
Decatur in burning the Philadelphia, Somers proposed to the 
commodore a plan for destroying the enemy's flotilla, as it 
lay anchored in the inner harbour. His scheme was to take 
the Intrepid, the same ketch which Decatur had employed, 
and fitting her up in the double capacity of fire-ship and in- 
fernal, send her into the port of Tripoli, by the western pas- 
sage, there to explode in the very centre of the Turkish 
vessels. Her deck was to be strewed with missiles, and a 
large quantity of powder was to be used, in the belief that 
the damage would not be confined to the shipping, but extend 



200 RICHARD SOMERS. 

to the to\yn and castle. The panic created by this terrific 
explosion, in the dead of night, would, Somers urged, lead 
probably to an immediate peace, and to the liberation of the 
crew of the Philadelphia. This dangerous but daring scheme 
met the approval of Preble, and preparations were immedi- 
ately made for carrying it into effect. 

A small apartment was constructed in the hold of the 
ketch, into which was emptied a hundred barrels of gunpow- 
der, and from this a train was led aft to one of the cabin- 
■jvindows, where a portnfire was fixed, graduated to burn a 
certain number of minutes. A body of light, splintered wood 
was also* arranged in a space back of the magazine, for the 
double purpose of insuring an explosion and keeping the foe 
aloof from fear of the flames. Nearly two hundred shells of 
different sizes, with fuses prepared, were piled on the deck. 
In all, about fifteen thousand pounds of powder were dis- 
tributed through the ketch. Two boats were to accompany 
her, a provision necessary in case a shot should disable one, 
and just sufficient men detailed for the service to. sail the 
ketch and tow the boats after abandoning her. Ten seamen 
were to be chosen for this purpose, of whom four were to 
come from the Nautilus, and six from the Constitution. 
When Somers called for volunteers, every man on board his 
little schooner offered himself, notwithstanding the desperate 
nature of the service, so that a selection had to be made. 
Lieutenant Henry Wadsworth, of the Constitution, accompa- 
nied Somers as second officer. 

Some time was required to perfect the arrangements, and 
when all was ready, one or two attempts made to go in 
failed, in consequence of the lightness of the wind. At last, 
Somers resolved to make a final attempt on the night of the 
4th of September. The whole squadron watched the prepa- 
rations with anxiety, mingled occasionally with melancholy 
forebodings. The commodore himself had personally attended 
to the details, thus betraying the interest he took in the 



/ RICHARD SOMERS. 201 

hazardous attempt. An anecdote, respecting what had passed 
between him and Somers, was afloat in the fleet, and added 
to the solicitude of all. It was said that Preble had burnt a 
port-fire in the presence of the young commander, in order to 
ascertain its time, and that, when it was consumed, he had 
asked Somers if the boats could get out of reach of the shells 
within the few minutes it was burning. " I think we can, 
sir," answered the commodore's companion. Preble looked 
intently at the young officer a moment, and then asked if the 
pori>-fire should be shortened. " I ask for no port-fire at all, 
sir," was the quiet, but firm reply. In addition to this anec- 
dote, it was told that the commodore had urged the necessity 
of not permitting the ketch, by any accident, to fall into the 
hands of the enemy, and that Somers had declared he would 
never allow himself to be taken. As the critical hour ap- 
proached, a gloom, in consequence, settled on the hearts of 
those who were to be left behind; and those who shook 
hands with Somers, as he departed, experienced an unac- 
countable awe and sadness, as if the shadow of death already 
fell around them. 

Not so the heroes who had embarked in the enterprise. 
With them, the prospect of glory, the consciousness of per- 
forming a high and noble duty, drowned all feelings of sad- 
ness. Previous to quitting the Nautilus, Somers addressed 
his boat's crew, telling them that he wished no man to ac- 
company him who would not prefer being blown up to being 
captured. He was answered with three cheers, and each 
man separately desired to be allowed to apply the match. 
Yet no unmanly levity was mingled with these enthusiastic 
feelings. The seamen bound on the expedition made their 
wills, as if about to die ; and then all repaired on board the 
ketch. Here an addition was found to the crew, in the per- 
son of Mr. Israel, a lieutenant of the Constitution, who had 
smuggled himself on board the Intrepid, determined to par- 
take in the glory or disaster of the night. Before the ketch 



202 RICHARD SOMERS. 

left lier anchorage, Stewart and Decatur came on board to 
bid Somers farewell. The parting was more serious between 
these young men than that between the crew and their ship- 
mates. Somers was tranquil as usual, though graver than 
his practice. At the close of the interview he took a ring 
from hi?i finger,, broke it into three pieces, and giving one to 
each of his friends, retained the* other himself. The Intrepid 
got under way about eight o'clock in the evening, the Argus, 
Vixen, and Nautilus accompanying her as far as the rocks 
outside the harbour. The last person who left the ketch was 
Lieutenant Washington Reed, the first lieutenant of the 
Nautilus. When he went over the side of the Intrepid, all 
communication ceased for ever with her and her gallant crew. 
The night was hazy, though not dark. A few stars were 
visible, faintly glimmering through the mist, and serving 
only to increase, with their uncertain light, the indistinctness 
of objects. The rocks, however, at the entrance of the har- 
bour were plainly visible ; while the fog, it was thought, 
would conceal the ketch from the shore. A light wind from 
the eastward gently ruffled the waters and propelled the In- 
trepid slowly along her course. When the Nautilus parted 
company with her, Lieutenant Reed directed Midshipman 
Ridgeley to follow her with a night-glass, and that officer 
continued watching her accordingly for nearly an hour, as she 
faded fainter and ffiinter in the distance. Meantime the 
Siren had been ordered by Preble to stand in, to be ready to 
afford assistance in case of an emergency. In obeying this 
direction, Stewart kept more in the offing than the vessels 
which preceded him. Soon the enemy began to open his fire 
on the ketch, which, by this time, was rapidly approaching 
tlie batteries ; but the Intrepid kept resolutely on. Every 
eye on board the brig was now fixed on the shadowy canvas 
of the fire-ship, until it gradually mingled with the surround- 
ing obscurity, and the spectators could see nothing more. 
They still, however, remained gazing in the direction where 



RICHARD SOMERS. 203 

tliey supposed the ketch to be. A profound silence mean- 
time hung over the waters, broken only by the occasional 
boom of a gun from the batteries. Suddenly, through the 
haze, a light Avas seen moving rapidly in a horizontal line, 
and wavering, as if from a lantern hurriedly carried along a 
vessel's deck. Lieutenant Carrol, who stood by Stewart's 
side, in the gangway of the Siren, had scarcely time to call 
the attention of his commander to this light, when it disap- 
peared, and night again shut in the prospect. 

A few seconds of breathless anxiety ensued. All at once 
a dazzling glare filled the firmament; a jet of fire, like a 
fountain, shot to the sky; a deafening roar followed; and 
vessels, batteries, sea and land reeled alike under the tre- 
mendous concussion. For an instant the mast of the ketch, 
with its sails blazing, was seen in the air, as were also nume- 
rous bombs whose fuses were burning. Then a sudden dark- 
ness enveloped the scene, as if the wand of an enchanter had 
been waved over it. The gloom was so intense that, for a 
moment, no man could see his neighbour, though almost 
within touch of him. This impenetrable obscurity was ac- 
^companied by a silence nearly as profound. The guns of the 
castle were hushed instantaneously, as if horror had transformed 
the gunners to stone. The otherwise unbroken stillness was 
disturbed only by a few sounds, yet these were more awful 
than the hush itself; the falling of bombs on the rocks, the 
plashing of heavier bodies in the water, and, in fancy, a low 
cry from the town as of the suppressed shriek of thousands. 
As these noises penetrated the gloom and silence, the hearts 
of the listeners stopped beating for an instant, and a simul- 
taneous shudder ran through every frame. No man spoke, 
but each knew that the Intrepid had blown up. 

When the first stunning emotions of the Americans had 
subsided, they reflected that perhaps Somers had left the 
ketch before the explosion, and every ear was immediately 
occupied in listening for the sounds of approaching oars. 



204 RICHARD SOMERS. 

But none were heard. Seconds glided into minutes, and 
minutes lengthened into hours, yet without any signs of the 
absent heroes. The night passed wearily, and morning began 
to dawn in the east ; but still nothing was seen or heard of 
the absent crew. " Men got over the sides of the vessels, 
holding lights, and placing their ears to the water," says one 
who wrote from the narratives of those who were present ; 
" and often was it fancied that the gallant adventurers were 
near. They never re-appeared. Hour after hour went by, 
until hope itself became exhausted. Occasionally, a rocket, 
gleamed in the darkness, or a sullen gun was heard from the 
frigate, as signals to the boats ; but the eyes that should have 
seen the first were sightless, and the last tolled on the ears 
of the dead." 

The three vessels hovered around the mouth of the har- 
bour -all night, hoping that when the sun rose, they would 
be able to find some traces of the Intrepid. Her shattered 
mast was visible on the rocks near the western entrance, and 
a few fragments of the "hull were not far off. But this was 
all. One of the Tripolitan gun-boats was missing, and two 
others, apparently injured, were being hauled upon the shore. 
The three which had lain across the entrance of the harbour 
had disappeared. It was subsequently learned that the ex- 
plosion took place in the western entrance to the harbour, a 
quarter of a mile from the spot that it was intended the ketch 
should reach. In the wreck, which lay on the north side of 
the rocks, near the battery at the end of the mole, were 
found two mangled bodies, and four more were picked up, 
two days after, floating in the harbour, or lodged on the shore. 
These bodies were in a shocking state, and, though Captain 
Bainbridge and one or two of his companions were taken to 
see them, it was found impossible to distinguish even the offi- 
cers from the men. It is understood that six more bodies 
were found, the day after the explosion, on the shore to the 
southward of the town, and that a six-oared boat, with a 



EICHARD SOMERS. 205 

single body in it, obviously that of the keeper, had drifted 
on the beach. 

The three vessels returned, with melancholy feelings, to 
the squadron, where the opinion was at first general, that 
Somers had blown himself up to prevent being taken. In 
this belief Preble remained to the day of his death. The 
facts already enumerated, on the authority of Bainbridge, 
were not, however, known to either the commodore or his 
officer^ at the time they formed their conclusion ; and these 
facts decide the affair otherwise, as far at least as a matter 
involved in such obscurity can ever be determined. At the 
time of the explosion none of the enemy were near enough 
to the Intrepid to render her situation perilous, and Somers, 
proverbially cool, was not the man to blow himself up ex- 
cept in the last extremity. In case, too, of the proximity 
of a foe, the splinter-room was to have been lighted, one of 
its chief purposes being to deter approach ; yet this was not 
done. Accident therefore, and not design, is the solution 
of the explosion. A hot shot, fired from the batteries, would 
have led to the disaster, or a cold shot, striking fire by coming 
in contact with a bolt, would have produced the same result. 
That so little damage was done to the Turks ; that the corpse 
of the boat-keeper was the only one found in the boat ; and 
that the Intrepid, as is testified by those who watched her 
to the last, was yet a considerable distance from the inner 
harbour, proves, as conclusively as circumstantial evidence 
can, the fact that the ketch exploded by accident. The hght 
seen by Lieutenant Carrol renders it possible that the In- 
trepid blew up from a spark dropped from a lantern, carried 
from aft in order to set fire to the splinter-room, a step it was 
nearly, if not quite time to take. Yet this supposition would 
imply a carelessness which was foreign to Somers and his 
crew. 

Thus perished one of the bravest men who ever held a 
commission in our navy. He died, with his gallant associ- 



206 RICHARD SOMERS. 

ates, in the execution of the hoUest duty of an officer, the 
attempt to releuse fellow beings from slavery ; for if the en- 
terprise had succeeded, there is little doubt but that peace 
^would have been the result, attended with the liberation of 
Bainbridge and his crew. A melancholy interest hangs 
around the name of Somers, and will continue so long as the 
annals of our country are read. The story of his heroic un- 
dertaking and the mystery that attended his death will be 
the theme of the historian for centuries to come, impelling 
fair eyes to shed tears over the recital, long after the hand 
that pens the tale shall have mouldered into dust. 

In disposition, Somers was mild and affectionate. But, 
under a quiet demeanour, he concealed the heart of a lion. 
His sentiments of duty and honour were chivalric to the last 
degree. As an instance of this, though perhaps an exagge- 
rated one, a familiar anecdote is told of his having fought 
three duels in one day, the last seated wounded on the ground, 
sustained by his friend Decatur; and, what is noblest of all, 
these duels were fought because his opponents had imputed 
to him a want of spirit for not resenting some idle expres- 
sions of Decatur, the last man, as Somers well knew, inten- 
tionally to insult him. 

In person Somers was of middle height, stout in frame, 
and unusually active and muscular. His nose inclined to 
the aquiline, and his eyes and hair were dark ; indeed, his 
whole face is said to have borne marks of the cross of French 
blood which ran in his veins. 

Congress passed a resolution of condolence with the friends 
of the officers who perished in the Intrepid. As a further 
proof of the reverence in which his services are held, several 
vessels-of-war have been named after him. 




JOHN BODQERS. 




FtmUNG SAILS. 



JOHN KODGERS. 



Commodore John Rodgers was distinguished, not only in 
the wars with France and Trii^oli, but subsequently in that 
with Great Britain in 1812 ; and in all merited the reputa- 
tion of a brave officer, a skilful seaman, and thorough disci- 
plinarian. His most celebrated action was the capture of the 
largest cruiser of the Tripolitans, although she was moored 
near the shore, and defended by a large for(?e on the beach, 
in addition to her own crew. 

Rodgers was born in what is now Harford county, Mary- 
land, on the 11th of July, 1771. His father was a Scottish 
gentleman, who, having emigrated to America many years 
before the war of independence, proved his devotion to his 
adopted country by taking up arms in her cause during that 
contest, as colonel of militia. The son, born just before the 

209 



210 ' JOHN EODGERS. 

struggle began, imbibed in his earliest childhood those 
lessons of giiUantr}- and patriotism which he subsequently 
enforced at the head of the fleet and under the victorious 
flag of the -republic. 

At the early age of thirteen, Rodgers made his first voy- 
age, much aoainst the wishes of his friends ; but he had im- 
bibed too strong a passion for the sea to be restrained. His 
success in the profession he had chosen was rapid and de- 
cisive, so that at nineteen he was already in command of a 
vessel, the ship Jane, trading from Baltimore to the north of 
Europe. He remained in the merchant service until he had 
reached his twenty-sixth year, at which period the navy 
being about to be augmented in consequence of the war with 
France, he solicited a commission in the service, and was ap- 
pointed first lieutenant of the Constellation, Commodore 
Truxtun, then about to sail for the West Indies. 

Rodgers shared in the action with L'Insurgente, and after 
lier capture was appointed to carry her into port. Before 
the wounded and i^risoners could be removed from the French 
frigate, a sudden gale separated her from the Constellation. 
The captured crew on this showed symptoms of rising, but 
though Rodgers had onlj^ one midshipman and eleven men, 
he kept the prisoners in check and snfely brought L'Insur- 
gente into harbour. This brilliant feat we have already re- 
lated in detail in the biography of Truxtun. Retuitiing to 
the United States, Rodgers obtained a furlough, and made a 
voyage to the West Indies in a vessel he had purchased. He 
was at St. Domingo during the insurrection of the slaves, and 
distinguished himself by saving many lives of the white in- 
habitants at the hazard of his own safety. In attempting to 
put off from the wharf, his boat being crowded with fugitive 
women and children, he fell, and was captured by the infu- 
riated negroes ; but, succeeding in making his escape, he re- 
ceived the thanks of Le Clerc, the French general, and was 
induced to return to the United States and bring out in his 



JOHN RODGERS. 211 

» 

brig a cargo of supplies. On his re-appearance, however, 
with the articles, the sentiments of the authorities had 
changed, and his valuable cargo was confiscated ; while for 
twelve days he was kept prisoner, and only released on his 
promise to leave the island. 

In March, 1799, Rodgers was advanced to the rank of 
post-captain, and directed to cruise in the sloop-of-war Mary- 
land, on the Surinam station. He returned from this duty 
in September, 1800. In March, 1801, he was ordered to 
France with despatches. The war with Tripoli was now 
raging, and in the autumn of 1802, he was sent to the Medi- 
terranean, in the John Adams twenty-eight, to join the 
squadron cruising there under Commodore Morris. -While 
l3dng before Tripoli, on the 20tli of July, 1803, being at that 
time the senior officer present, Rodgers was led to believe 
that preparations were making in the city either to get a 
cruiser to sea, or to cover the return of one to port. Accord- 
ingly he despatched the Enterprise and Adams, the only two 
vessels in company, the one to the eastward, the other in the 
opposite direction, while he remained in the offing in his own 
ship. The next morning the Enterprise was seen to the 
southward and eastward with the signal for an enemy flying. 
The John Adams was a few leagues at sea, and it was more 
than an hour in consequence before she could speak the 
schooner. On coming up, Rodgers found that a large corsair, 
making for Tripoli, had been headed off by the Enterprise, 
and had taken refuge in a deep bay, about seven leagues east- 
ward of the town, where she lay at anchor with springs on 
her cables, prepared for defence. The alarnPfiad spread, and 
already nine gun-boats were seen sweeping along the shore, 
to assist in the contest. A large body of .cavalry was also 
perceived hovering about the coast to resist any attack by 
means of boats. The corsair was recognised as a vessel of 
twenty-two guns, the largest and finest belonging to the 
bashaw. 

15 



212 JOHN RODGERS. 

Rodgers promptly stood in, the Enterprise bearing liim 
company, until he was within point-blank shot of the enemy, 
when he opened his fire, which the corsair returned. For 
forty-five minutes the cannonade raged on both sides, w^hen 
the Turks abandoned their guns, numbers leaping overboard 
and swimming to the shore. The John Adams, finding her- 
self in shallow watgr, wore with her head ofi" shore. The 
boats were now ordered out, with the intention of boarding 
the corsair, while the Enterprise kept up a heavy fire on the 
beach to prevent succours. But a boat returning to the Tri- 
politan cruiser, the Johil Adams tacked and renewed her 
fire. A few minutes only had passed, however, when the 
colours of the corsair were struck, and immediately after- 
wards all her guns were discharged, those which pointed 
towards the land as well as those directed against the Ameri- 
cans. The victors were yet wondering at this proceeding, 
when a dull, heavy column of smoke pufied upwards from 
her decks ; the hull parted into fragments ; a stream of fire 
shot to the sky ; and the two after-masts, with all the yards, 
rigging, and hamper attached, rose perpendicularl}^ to the 
height of two hundred feet, and then fell with a sullen plash 
into the water. The corsair had accidentally blown up, 
carrying a part of her crew with her. When the awe which 
followed this catastrophe had partially subsided, Rodgers 
turned his attention to the gun-boats, which he endeavoured 
to cut off, but the shallowness of the water and their know- 
ledge of the shoals permitted them to escape. 

At the close of this year, Rodgers returned, in the John 
Adams, to the United States. He did not long remain idle, 
however, but in July, 1805, sailed again for the Mediterra- 
nean, this time in command of the Congress thirty-eight. 
After serving, for some time, as second in command in the 
squadron before Tripoli, the return of Commodore Barron 
home in consequence of ill health, made him the senior offi- 
cer ; and, in this capacity, he continued to direct the operar 



JOHN RODGERS. 213 

tions of the war, during the short period that remained to 
the conclusion of peace, which occurred on the 3d of June, 
1805. The treaty which put a final end to this contest was 
signed on board the Constitution, to which frigate Rodgers 
had succeeded. Subsequently, Rodgers imposed conditions 
on the Bey of Tunis, after which he returned to the United 
States. He was now appointed to command the gun-boats 
in New York harbour, in which capacity he remained until 
February, 1809. In this month, he was transferred to the 
Constitution, with directions to cruise on the Atlantic coast, 
in order to protect our commerce from the depredations or 
insults of British men-of-war. He subsequently hoisted his 
broad pennant on board of the President, in the execution of 
the same duty. It was while in command of this ship that 
the collision occurred between her and the English sloop-of- 
war Little Belt, in which the latter was almost reduced to a 
wreck by a few broadsides from the former ; a collision which 
increased the hostile feelings already existing between this 
country and Great Britain, and assisted materially to produce 
the war of 1812. The facts of this affair are these : — 

Rodgers had been lying in the Potomac, when, hearing 
that an American sailor had been impressed from a brig off 
Sandy Hook, by a British frigate, he sailed to inquire into 
the facts. About noon, on the 16th of May, 1811, when the 
President was approaching New York, a sail was discerned, 
apparently a man-of-war, in chase of which Rodgers pro- 
ceeded, setting his broad pennant and ensign. The President 
gained fast upon the stranger until the wind fell, when her 
progress was slower; but, at nightfall, the vessels were so 
close that the chase hauled up his courses, and, coming by 
the wind on his starboard tack, set his ensign. It was too 
dark, however, for the Americans to discover his nation, but 
his broadside indicated that of a small frigate. For nearly 
an hour and a half the two vessels continued manoeuvring, 
each wishing to get to windward of the other ; but finally 



214 JOHN RODGERS. ' 

the President succeeding, Rodgers broughi^to on the weather- 
bow of the stranger and hailed. No answer was given, ex- 
cept a hail in return. The commodore now put the question 
again. At this instant, a gun was fired from the chase, the 
shot cutting away a breast back-stay and entering the mast. 
Whether this discharge was the result of accident or design 
has never been explained, but it was probably the latter; 
for, at that time, the British navy, in consequence of its nu- 
merous victories over French men-of-war, had come to regard 
itself as invincible ; and combats were not unfrequently in- 
vited against as great odds as those which now presented 
themselves. 

Rodgers was about to direct the return of the fire, when 
an officer of the second division discharged his gun, under a 
standing order to that effect in similar emergencies. The 
stranger immediately fired three guns in rapid succession, 
and, after a pause, the rest of his broadside, with all his mus- 
ketry. On this the President poured in a broadside. This 
had scarcely been done, when, through the uncertain twilight, 
Rodgers discovered that his antagonist was only a sloop-of- 
war, though she wore, at first sight, the appearance of a 
frigate, in consequence of having a light spar deck, on which, 
however, no guns were mounted. Finding his adversary so 
weak, Rodgers desisted firing. But, to the astonishment of 
the Americans, scarcely had this been done, when the 
stranger, supposing perhaps that his enemy was intimidated, 
renewed his broadsides. Indignant at this, Rodgers ordered 
the guns to be again opened on the enemy. In a few min- 
utes the stranger lay almost a wreck on the water. The 
President now desisted a second time, and hailing the enemy, 
was answered that her antagonist was a British man-of-war. 

Perceiving the crippled condition of his adversary, Rodgers 
was unwilling to abandon him to his fate, and accordingly, 
wearing round, he ran a short distance to leeward, and then 
hauled by the wind again, in order to remain near the 



JOHN RODGERS. 215 

stranger. When morning broke, the enemy was discovered 
to leeward, having drifted considerably during the night. 
The President, however, soon ran down to her, when Rod- 
gers sent a boat on board, with an offer of services. The 
stranger now proved to be the Little Belt of eighteen guns. 
She had suffered severely by the President's broadsides, and 
thirty-one of her crew had been killed and wounded. The 
English captain coldly declined assistance, on which the two 
vessels parted, each bearing up on her course. This collision 
produced much anmy discussion between Great Britain and 
the United States, and led to official investigations in both 
countries. In America, Rodgers, having been tried by a 
court-martial, was acquitted, the facts elicited in testimony 
being such as we have based our narrative upon. In Eng- 
land, it is believed no proper court of inquiry was held, 
though affidavits were published from most of the officers of 
the Little Belt. In these it was asserted that the President 
began the action, and began it, not by the discharge of a 
single gun, but by a whole broadside ; while it was also inti- 
mated that, in the end, she sheered off. The latter part of 
this story is so directly contradicted by the great injury done 
to the British vessel, while the American frigate suffered but 
little, that it gave an air of falsehood and absurdity to the 
whole tale, and prevented belief in all parts of it among im- 
partial men of either nation. 

When war with Great Britain was finally declared, on the 
18th of June, 1812, Rodgers was lying in the harbour of 
New York, having his broad pennant still flying on board 
the President. On the 21st, the United States, Commodore 
Decatur; the Congress, Capt. Smith; and the Argus, Lt. 
Com. • Sinclair, arrived from the southward ; and, on the 
same day, Rodgers received official notice of the declaration 
of hostilities. As the whole squadron was ready for sea, he 
immediately determined to go out, hoping to intercept the 
homeward-bound fleet of British West Indiamen, which, about 



216 JOHN RODGEES. 

this season, was sweeping along the outer edge of the Gulf 
Stream. Accordingly, within an hour after the letter of the 
Secretary of the Navy reached him, he went to sea, accom- 
panied by the United States, the Congress, the Wasp, and 
the Argus. On the 23d, about six, A. m., a sail was seen, 
subsequently discovered to be the British frigate Belvidere, 
to which chase was given. The pursuit was continued until 
four, p. M., by which time the President, an unusually fast 
vessel off the wind, had outsailed the rest of the squadron 
and was within gun-shot of the enemy. The wind now fall- 
ing, and the American ships all being very deep in conse- 
quence of having just left port, the Belvidere began to gain; 
and Rodgers saw that nothing was left but to endeavour to 
cripple the fugitive. Accordingly he opened on the British 
frigate with his chase-guns, pointing the forecastle gun him- 
self. Commodore Rodgers was thus the first person to fire 
a hostile cannon in the war of 1812. The piece was dis- 
charged subsequently several times, but at last it burst, 
blowing up the forecastle deck, and throwing the commodore 
into the air, breaking his leg in the fall. By cutting away 
her anchors, throwing overboard her boats, and starting four- 
teen tuns of water, the Belvidere succeeded in effecting her 
escape, and, hastening to Halifax, spread there the news of 
the declaration of war. Meanwhile the American squadron 
continued its cruise, but the ill-fortune which attended the 
opening, folio wed to the close; and though the Jamaica fleet 
was frequently heard of, it was not overtaken, Rodgers fol- 
lowing it vainly almost to the chops of the British Channel. 
After an absence of seventy days, the squadron returned to 
the United States, going into Boston. Seven captured mer- 
chantmen and one American vessel re-captured were its entire 
trophies. 

On the 8th of October, the commodore again went to sea, 
and, after parting in a few days from all his squadron except 
the Congress, captured the British packet Shallow, having 



JOHN EODGERS. 217 

on board two hundred thousand doUars in specie. The two 
frigates subsequently continued their cruise, being absent 
eighty days, and sailing a distance of eight thousand miles, 
without meeting any of the enemy's ships of war. On the 
3d of April, 1813, Rodgers again left port, having the Con- 
gress in company. He directed his course first for the Azores, 
and afterwards for the North Sea, making numerous captures 
of British merchantmen. At one time he was pursued by a 
line-of-battle ship and a frigate ; and finding the latter in ad- 
vance of its companion, he offered battle, trusting to gain a 
victory before the larger ship could close ; but the challenge 
was declined. He returned to the United States shortly 
after, entering New York harbour on the 26th of September. 
On the 5th of December of the same year, he sailed on a 
fourth cruise, and was absent until the ISth of February, 1814, 
seeking for an opportunity to engage a frigate of the enemy, 
and encountering continual risks of capture by a superior 
force. But fortune, which had favoured him in the French 
and Tripolitan wars, was now adverse, and he returned to 
port without having met an adversary. He now gave up 
his frigate. In August, he conducted the naval operations 
on the Potomac against the enemy, after the retreat of the 
latter's forces from Washington ; and, in September, partici- 
pated in the glorious and successful defence of Baltimore. 
With this duty his active services in the war of 1812 ceased. 
When peace was declared, Rodgers was tendered the office 
of Secretary of the Navy, but this he declined. He was then 
made President of the Board of Naval Commissioners ; and, 
in the discharge of the responsibilities of this honourable 
office, he continued, with but a single intermission, for a 
period of twenty-one years. The intermission occurred be- 
tween 1825 and 1827, when he commanded the American 
squadron in the Mediterranean, his flag-ship being the North 
Carolina seventy-four. During the presidency of Monroe he 
was again urged to accept the Naval Department, but he 



218 JOHN RODGERS. 

refused for the second time. In the summer of 1832, when 

the Asiatic cholera visited the United States, ,he had an at^ 
tack of that epidemic ; and though he recovered, it was with 
a shattered constitution. • In the hope of restoring his health, 
he visited England in 1836, but the voyage failed to benefit 
him. His physical system, impaired by his long and arduous 
services, had been completely undermined by the attack of 
cholera, and he continued to sink, until the 1st of August, 
1838, when he expired at Philadelphia. 

Rodgers was a man of great firmness, and, if possible, 
greater energy. He was a strict disciplinarian, was proud 
of the honour of his flag, and, under all circumstances, 
showed himself alike skilful and courageous. 




HULLS VICTORY. 



ISAAC HULL. 



The war of 1812 had scarcely begun, when the pubh'c 
mind was j^lunged into despondency'' by news of the capitLda- 
tion of Detroit. Suddenlj^, when every one was in despair, 
inteUigence came of a victory so unexpected, so brilUant, so 
far beyond human foresight, that the whole nation was flung 
into transports of joy. We allude to the capture of the 
British frigate Guerriere, by Captain Isaac Hull, in the Con- 
stitution forty-four. 

Hull was born at Derby, in the vicinity of New Haven, 
Connecticut, on the 9th of March, 1775. His father, an offi- 
cer in the American army, served during the whole of the 

revolutionary struggle, leaving, for that purpose, his wife and 

221 



222 ISAAC HULL. 

her infant son, when the latter was but a few weeks old. 
The lad early displayed a taste for the sea, which his living 
within sight, as it were, of Long Island Sound, did not tend 
to destroy. With the hope of diverting his attention to some 
other pursuit, he was despatched, after the war, to his uncle, 
General William Hull, then residing at Boston. In that city 
he went to school. It was soon discovered, however, that 
his passion for the sea was unappeasable, and his friends con- 
sented, though reluctantly, to his making a voyage. The 
vessel in which he embarked was wrecked on the coast of 
Ireland ; but this disaster did not discourage him. His natu- 
ral bias for the sea finally triumphed over every obstacle which 
his family could offer. He now devoted himself assiduously to 
his profession. In the course of eleven years he made eighteen 
voyages to Europe and the West Indies in various capacities, 
gradually rising in station, however, until at nineteen he 
commanded a vessel in the London trade. We shall not 
follow him through this portion of his career, though it 
abounds with adventures of a varied, and even romantic 
character. It is sufficient to say, that on the prospect of a 
war with France in 1798, and after the passage of a bill in- 
creasing the navy, he conceived the ambition of entering the 
regular service, and, applying for a lieutenant's commission, 
had his wish gratified on the 9 th of March of that year, the 
day on which he was twenty-three years old. 

His first appointment was to the Constitution, then fitting 
out at Boston, under Commodore Talbot, for the windward 
station in the West Indies. While under the command of 
this officer, he achieved his first feat in arms. It having 
been ascertained that a French letter-of-marque, the Sand- 
wich, was lying in Port Platte, St. Domingo, the commodore 
despatched Hull, in one of the frigate's cutters, to reconnoitre. 
Hull pronounced it practicable to cut the vfessel out, and, as 
the Sandwich was dangerous on account of her speed, Talbot 
determined on the enterprise. * Accordingly, finding an 



ISAAC HULL. 223 

American sloop, the Sally, employed on the coast, he threw 
a party of seamen and marines into her under the command 
of Hull. The sloop reached her destination on the following 
day about noon. As soon as the harbour began to open to 
the sight, the Sandwich was perceived lying with her broad- 
side to the entrance, while a battery at no great distance, 
frowning down on the water, afforded her additional protec- 
tion. Hull now sent most of his people below, and getting 
an anchor ready over the stern, to bring the sloop up with, 
stood directly for the enemy's bows. No suspicion whatever 
was excited ; the Sally ran the Sandwich aboard ; and the 
Constitution's people, pouring into her, carried her without 
the loss of a man. At the same moment. Captain Carmick 
landed with the marines, entered the battery, and spiked the 
guns. Notwithstanding a great commotion which now en- 
sued on shore, the Americans went to work to secure their 
prize. The Sandwich was stripped to a girthne, and every 
thing was below. Before sunset she had her royal yards 
across, her guns scaled, and her American crew quartered, 
and soon after she weighed, beat out of the harbour, and 
joined the frigate. Hull always regarded this as one of liis 
most creditable achievements ; and it is so considered by the 
best judges of nautical exploits. The capture of the Sand- 
wich in a neutral port was illegal, however, as the courts 
subsequently declared ; hence, in the end, she was not only 
restored to her owners, but all the prize-money of the cruise 
awarded to pay damages. 

When the Constitution returned to Boston, Hull was 
directed to superintend her repairs ; but before this duty was 
finished, he was ordered to join the Adams as first lieutenant, 
and sail with that vessel to the Mediterranean. Arrived in 
that sea, he received the command of the Enterprise, a 
schooner already made celebrated by the victories of Shaw. 
In this gallant little craft he rendered efiectual aid to Captain 
Kodgers, of the John Adams, in capturing a TripoUtan cor- 



224 ISAAC HULL. 

sair, mounting twenty-two guns. Hull had detected this 
vessel, about daylight, making for Tripoli, and with a spirit 
that few under the circumstances would have shown, inter- 
posed between the enemy and safety, at the risk of losing his . 
own vessel. The corsair, intimidated by Hull's audacity, 
instead of boldly standing on in his course and running down 
his. puny adversary, sought refuge in a deep bay, where he 
was subsequently captured by the John Adams, Hull partici- 
pating in the action with the Enterprise. During the opera- 
tions under Preble, in 1804, Hull served with increasing 
reputation. He was one of that gallant band, of whom Deca- 
tur stood foremost, who, at that period, gave our infant navy 
the position it has ever since maintained before the world. 

In this year Hull was advanced to the Argus sixteen, and 
also promoted to the rank of commander. During his stay 
in the Argus, he was constantly employed in the most active 
duty. For a while he cruised off the coast of Morocco, watch- 
ing the corsairs in the ports of that power. Subsequently he 
rejoined Preble's squadron before TripoH, when he was or- 
dered to Naples, and charged with the protection of Ameri- 
can property, in the event of the city being taken by the 
French. His next duty was the conveyance of General 
Eaton to Egypt, prior to that officer's march across the desert 
to Derne, a town on the frontiers of the dominions of Tripoli. 
He also furnished most of the supplies for the campaign. In 
the attack on Derne, Hull participated, battering the fortifi- 
cations from the sea, .while Eaton assailed them on the land. 
At the conclusion of peace, which followed shortly after this 
victory, Hull returned to the United States, having been 
absent four years and three months. During this period, he 
had made himself a prominent reputation, and was excelled 
in popular estimation only by Decatur, Somers, and perhaps 
Stewart. He was still a young man, scarcely thirty years 
of age, when, in 1806, soon after his return, he was promoted 
to the rank of post-captain. 



ISAAC HULL. * 225 

His first servicej subsequent to his arrival, was the super- 
intending the construction of some gun-boats, built in pur- 
suance of a system which was the favourite scheme of Presi- 
dent Jefferson. He was next appointed to the command of 
the navy yard at Norfolk. He then received an appointment 
to the Chesapeake, and afterwards to the Constitution. In 
this latter frigate, he carried out Mr. Barlow, the American 
minister to the court of Napoleon. When war with Great 
Britain was declared, on the 18 th of June, 1812, he was 
lying at Annapolis in the Constitution, having just arrived 
from Europe ; and he immediately received an order from 
the Secretary of the Navy to ship a new crew, and sail for 
New York. Every exertion was put forth to obtain a com- 
plement of men as speedily as possible, and, with such suc- 
cess, that, by the 12th of July, the Constitution was ready 
for sea. On that day, she left her anchorage and stood out 
of the bay, destined, before Hull laid down her command, 
not only to make herself and her commander immortal, but 
to give such an impetus to naval victory, that our ships of 
war, instead of being laid up in ordinary as was at first con- 
templated, were kept at sea, where their astonishing successes 
held the American people in breathless delight, and filled 
Europe with equal amazement and respect. 

We have said that it was at first contemplated to lay up 
our ships of war in ordinary ; and, strange as this resolution 
may seem, it was yet actually conceived. The navy of Great 
Britain, in 1812, numbered about eight hundred efficient 
vessels, while that of the United States did not exceed twenty, 
exclusive of gun-boats. This comparatively insignificant 
force was composed of three forty-fours ; eight frigates of a 
smaller size; and nine sloops-of-war, brigs, and schooners. 
Intimidated by the vast disparity between the navy of the 
two countries, the administration resolved in July, after a 
cabinet discussion, to forbid such vessels as had not already 
gone to sea from leaving port. Though it was the opinion 



226 ISAAC HULL. 

of a majority of Mr. Madison's advisers, that the enormous 
naval power of the enemy would sweep every American 
cruiser from the ocean, fortunately the executive did not en- 
tirely coincide with them, and, still more fortunately, Captain 
Stewart and Bainbridge, as well as Hull, happened to be in 
Washington at this crisis. The two former of these officers 
visited the Secretary of the Navy, and represented to him 
that, though the British had for a century been victorious 
over the French at sea, they had not been equally successful 
against the Americans in the war of independence. 

The secretary was influenced by these remarks, and pro- 
cured foi? the two captains an audience of the president, who 
was so much struck with their arguments, that he called his 
cabinet together in order to reconsider its decision. The 
cabinet, however, sharing the popular notion, which regarded 
the British navy as invincible, adhered to its advice. On 
being notified of this, Stewart and Bainbridge, in despair, ad- 
dressed a letter to the president, in which they recapitulated 
their arguments in favour of the navy's probabilities of suc- 
cess; asserting, from their personal knowledge of the character 
of the ships and the material of the officers, that, in a fair 
fight, frigate to frigate, the Americans would have the best 
chance of victory. This letter was deemed so cogent, that 
Mr. Madison assumed the responsibility of neglecting the 
advice of the majority of his cabinet. In the mean time, it is 
understood that Hull, aware of what was in contemplation, 
hurried his departure from the Chesapeake, lest his sailing 
should be countermanded ; and it was fortunate he did so, 
for when, a few days after, the news of his narrow escape 
from a pursuing British squadron reached Washington, the 
secretary, under the influence of the prevailing alarm, 
hastened to despatch a letter to Boston, directing him to 
remain in that port until further orders. Before the epistle 
reached Hull, however, that officer had sailed on the memo- 
rable cruise in which he captured the Guerriere. When he 



ISAAC HULL. 227 

reached Boston the second time, with the flag of a captured 
British frigate, there was no longer any need of argument to 
prove the high character of our navy ; for all felt, from the 
President down to the lowest of the people, that the charm 
of English invincibility was broken, and that Britannia no 
longer " ruled the seas." 

The Constitution, we have said, left Annapolis on the 
12th of July, 1812. By the 17th, she was out of sight of 
land, though at no great distance from the coast, when a fleet 
of four sail was discerned, in shore, apparently composed of 
ships of war. A fifth sail was made out towards evening. 
Night fell, however, while the vessels were still at some dis- 
tance. When morning dawned, three of the strangers were 
visible just out of gun-shot, and soon after a fourth, fifth, and 
sixth. These vessels belonged to the squadron of Captain 
Broke, of the British navy, and had been intentionally closing 
with the Constitution during the hours of darkness. The 
American captain soon detected that the strangers were ene- 
mies, and, as a combat with such a superior force would have 
been madness, nothing was left but to endeavour to escape. 
To this task Hull accordingly addressed himself with a reso- 
lution and skill which were ultimately crowned with success, 
and which, even without his subsequent capture of the 
Guerriere, would laave given him a prominent place among 
the naval heroes of the republic. The struggle lasted for 
three days and as many nights, during part of which time a 
running fight was maintained with one of the English 
frigates. At the end of this period, Hull succeeded in efiect- 
ing his escape from the squadron. In this protracted pur- 
suit, the commodore received material assistance from the 
suggestions of his first lieutenant, Mr. Morris, to whose sea- 
manship, perhaps, the Constitution was finally indebted for 
her escape. The success of the American frigate in evading 
her pursuers probably changed the whole character of the 
war at sea. If the Constitution had fallen a prey to the 

16 



228 ISAAC HULL. ' 

enemy, the Guerriere might never have been captured ; but 
the prestige of a first success would have attached to the 
British instead of to the American side, and the whole career 
of naval victory consequently been different. 

The particulars of tiiis remarkable chase, one of the most 
extraordinary in the naval annals of this or any other coun- 
try, have been frequently given ; but no account is at once 
so authentic, yet so full of the spirit of the event, as that of 
an eye-witness and chief actor, Hull himself. We accord- 
ingly insert his official despatch. 

At sea, July 21st, 1812. 

Sir : — In pursuance of your orders of the 3d instant, I left 
Annapolis on the 5th instant, and the capes on the 12th, of 
which I advised you by the pilot who brought the ship to 
sea. For several days after we got out, the wind was light 
and ahead, which, with a strong southerly current, prevented 
our making much way to the northward. On the, 17th, at 
two, p. M., being in twenty-two fathoms water off Egg Har- 
bour, four sail of ships were discovered from the masthead, 
to the northward and in shore of us, apparently ships of war. 
The wind being very light, all sail was made in chase of 
them, to ascertain whether they were the enemy's ships, or 
our squadron, having got out of New York, waiting the arri- 
val of the Constitution, the latter of which I had reason to 
believe was the case. 

At four in the afternoon, a ship was seen from the mast- 
head, bearing about N. E., standing for us under all sail, 
which she continued to do until sundown, at which time she 
was too far off to distinguish signals, and the ships in shore 
only to be seen from the tops ; they were standing off to the 
southward and eastward. As we could not ascertain before 
dark what the ship in the offing was, I determined to stand 
for her, and get near enough to make the night signal. At 
ten in the evening, being within six or eight miles of the 



ISAAC HULL. 231 

strange sail, the private signal was made, and kept up nearly 
one hour ; but finding she could not answer it, I concluded 
she and the ships in shore were enemies. I immediately 
hauled off to the southward and eastward, and made all sail, 
having determined to lie off till daylight to see what they 
were. The ship that we had been chasing hauled off after 
us, showing a light, and occasionally making signals, supposed 
to be for the ships in shore. 

On the 18th, at daylight, or a little before it was quite 
light, saw two sail under our lee, which proved to be frigates 
of the enemy's. One frigate astern, within about five or six 
miles, and a line-of-battle ship, a frigate, a brig, and schooner, 
about ten or twelve miles directly astern, all in chase of us, 
with a fine breeze, and coming up fast, it being nearly calm 
where we were. Soon after sunrise, the wind entirely left 
us and the ship would not steer, but fell round off with her 
head towards the two ships under our lee. The boats were 
instantly hoisted out, and sent ahead to tow the ship's head 
round, and to endeavour to get her farther from the enemy, 
being then within five miles of three heavy frigates. The 
boats of the enemy were got out and sent ahead to tow, by 
which, with the light air that remained with them, they 
came up very fast. Finding the enemy gaining on us, and 
but little chance of escaping from them, I ordered two of the 
guns on the gun-deck to be ran out at the cabin windows for 
stern guns on the gun-deck, and hoisted one of the twenty- 
four pounders off the gun-deck, and run that, with the fore- 
castle gun, an eighteen pounder, out at the ports on the quar- 
ter-deck, and cleared the ship for action, being determined 
they should not get her without resistance on our part, not- 
withstanding their force and the situation we were placed in. 
At about seven in the morning, the ship nearest us approach- 
ing within gun-shot, and directly astern, I ordered one of the 
stem guns fired, to see if we could reach her, to endeavour 
to disable her masts ; found the shot fell a little short, would 



232 ISAAC HULL. 

not fire any more. At eight, four of the enemy's ships nearly 
within gun-shot, some of them having six or eight boats 
ahead towing, with all their oars and sweeps out, to row 
them up with us, which they were fast doing. It now ap- 
peared that we must be taken, and that our escape was im- 
possible — four heavy ships nearly within gun-shot, and coming 
up fast, and not the least hope of a breeze to give us a chance 
of getting off by outsailing them. 

In this situation, finding ourselves in only twenty-four 
fathoms water, by the suggestion of that valuable officer. 
Lieutenant Morris, I determined to try and warp the ship 
ahead, by carrying out anchors and w^arping her up to them ; 
three or four hundred fathoms of rope were instantly got up, 
and two anchors got ready and sent ahead, by which means 
we began to gain on the enemy ; they, however, soon saw 
our boats carrying out the anchors, and adopted the same 
plan, under very advantageous circumstances," as all the boats 
from the ships furthermost off were sent to tow and warj) up 
those nearest to us, by which means they again came up, so 
that at nine, the ship nearest us began to fire her bow guns, 
which we instantly returned by our stern guns in the cabin 
and on the quarter-deck. All the shot from the enemy fell 
short ; but we have reason to believe that some of ours went 
on board her, as we could not see them strike the water. 
Soon after nine, a second frigate passed under our lee, and 
opened her broadside, but, finding her shot fall short, discon- 
tinued her fire ; but continued, as did all the rest of them, 
to make every possible exertion to get up with us. From 
nine to twelve, all hands were employed in warping the ship 
ahead, and in starting some of the water in the main hokl to 
lighten her, when, with the helj) of a light air, we rather 
gained on tlie enemy, or, at least, held our own. About two 
in the afternoon, all the boats from the line-of-battle ship and 
some of the frigates were sent to the frigate nearest to us, to 
endeavour to tow her up, but a light breeze sprung up, which 



ISAAC HULL. 233 

enabled us to hold way with her, notwithstanding they had 
eight or ten boats ahead, and all her sails furled to tow her 
to windward. The wind continued light until eleven at 
night, and the boats were kept ahead towing and warping to 
keep out of the reach of the enemy, three of the frigates being 
very near us; at eleven, we got a light breeze from the 
southward, the boats came alongside and were hoisted up, 
the ship having too much way to keep them ahead, the enemy 
still in chase and very near. 

On the 19th, at daylight passed within gun-shot of one of 
the frigates, but she did not fire on us, perhaps for fear of 
becalming her, as the wind 'was light ; soon after passing us 
she tacked, and stood after us — at this time six sail were in 
sight, under all sail after us. At nine in the morning, saw 
a strange sail on our weather beam, supposed to be an Ameri- 
can merchant ship ; the instant the frigate nearest us saw 
her, she hoisted American colours, as did all the squadron, 
in hopes to decoy her down ; I immediately hoisted the Eng- 
lish colours, that she might not be deceived ; she soon hauled 
her wind, and, it is to be hoped, made her escape. All this 
day the wind increased gradually, and we gained on the 
enemy, in the course of the day, six or eight miles; they, 
however, continued chasing us all night under a press of sail. 

On the 20th, at daylight in the morning, only three of them 
could be seen from the masthead, the nearest of which was 
about twelve miles off, directly astern. All hands were set 
at work wetting the sails, from the royals down, with the 
engine and fire buckets, and we soon found that we left the 
enemy very fast. At a quarter past eight, the enemy, find- 
ing that they were fast dropping astern, gave over chase, and 
hauled their wind to the northward, probably for the station 
off New York. At half-j^ast eight, saw a sail ahead, gave 
chase after her under all sail. At nine, saw another strange 
sail under our lee bow. We soon spoke the first sail discovered, 
and found her to be an American brig from St. Domingo, 



234 ISAAC HULL. 

bound to Portland ; I directed the captain how to steer to 
avoid the enemy, and made sail for the vessel to leeward ; 
on coming up with her, she proved to be an American brig 
from St. Bartholomew's, bound to Philadelphia ; but, on being 
informed of war, he bore up for Charleston, S. C. Finding 
the ship so far to the southward and eastward, and the 
enemy's squadron stationed off New York, which would 
make it impossible for the ship to get in there, I determined 
to make for Boston, to receive your farther orders, and I hope 
my having done so will meet your approbation. My wish 
to explain to you as clearly as possible why your orders have 
not been executed, and the length of time the enemy were 
in chase of us, with various other circumstances, have caused 
me to make this communication much longer than I could 
have wished ; yet I cannot, in justice to the brave officers and 
crew under my command, close it without expressing to you 
the confidence I have in them, and assuring you that their 
conduct while under the guns of the enemy was such as 
might have been expected from American officers and sea- 
men. I have the honour to be, with very great respect, sir, 
your obedient humble servant, Isaac Hull. 

The Hon. Paul Hamilton, 

Secretary of the Navy, Washington. 

In pursuance of the resolution expressed in this despatch, 
Hull proceeded to Boston, where he arrived towards the 
close of July. It was fortunate for both him and the country 
that he took this step, for an order had been despatched to 
New York in the interval, directing him to give up the com- 
mand of his vessel to Bainbridge. The letter, in consequence 
of his change of destination, was not received ; nor was a 
second one, forwarded to Boston by the Secretary of the 
Navy, directing him to remain in that port ; for, after only a 
few days' delay, Hull had sailed again. On the 2d of August, 
he put to sea, on this second cruise, his crew being in the 
highest spirits. Hull first ran to the eastward, proceeding as 



ISAAC HULL. 235 

far as the mouth of the St. Lawrence, where he took two 
prizes, and recaptured an American brig. Finding few ves- 
sels in this quarter, he stood to the southward. On the 19th, 
at two, p. M., in latitude 40° 41', longitude 55° 48', a ship 
was discerned from the masthead of the Constitution, bearing 
E. S. E., and to leeward. All sail was immediately made in 
chase, and by half-past three the stranger was discovered to 
be an enemy's frigate. She was on the starboard tack, under 
easy canvas, and close-hauled. The announcement that the 
ship in sight was a British man-of-war, and probably of about 
the same force as the Constitution, was received with breath- 
less emotion by the crew of the latter. The American 
frigate kept running free until withm about three miles of 
the enemy ; and, during this interval, the men conversed in 
anxious whispers, or watched the stranger with intense 
interest. The Constitution now began to shorten sail. Per- 
ceiving this, the Englishman laid his maintopsail aback, by 
way of challenge to battle. Hull, thus made aware that his 
enemy sought, rather than declined a combat, proceeded to 
make his preparations with all that coolness and care pecu- 
liar to his character ; he furled his top-gallant sails, stowed 
his light stay-sails and flying jib, took a second reef soon 
after in his topsails, then hauled up his courses, sent down 
his royal yards, and cleared for action. The two ships were 
now fast approaching, each, Hke gladiators, stripped for the 
fight. As his last preliminary, Hull beat to quarters. The 
men took their stations with alacrity, and, standing eagerly 
by the guns, regarded the enemy as he slowly came within 
range, impatient to open their fire. 

It was now about five o'clock, and the summer sun, though 
declining to the west, was still two hours high. A heavy 
sea was going. On the apparently illimitable expanse of 
waters, no third vessel was to be discerned; the two frigates 
were alone, with no one to interfere between them. Every 
man on board of either ship knew that the approaching con- 



236 ISAAC HULL. 

flict would decide the invincibility or not of the British flag ; 
and at the prospect of this duel, as it were, between the two 
nations, each felt his blood quicken, and his sinews stiffen as 
if iron. On the side of the enemy there was a confident be- 
lief in victory. The English sailors recognised, in their 
antagonist, the American ship which they had chased in 
company with the squadron a few weeks before, and they 
secretly exulted that she was now to fall their prey, when no 
rivals were present to divide the spoils. On the part of the 
Americans there was a resolute determination to prove to 
their countrymen on shore that the British men-of-war were 
not invincible ; and to effect this glorious end, each native- 
born seaman silently vowed to conquer or die. As they 
looked out, from their port-holes, on the foe, the Americans 
suddenly beheld the sides of the English frigate sheeted with 
flame, and then, as the white smoke curled backwards over 
her decks, a dozen of cannon balls were seen skipping along 
the waves towards the Constitution. The shot fell short. 
But, in their eagerness to finish the victory, the English wore, 
and delivered another broadside. Unable to restrain them- 
selves, though aware that the foe was out of range, a few of 
the Americans fired their guns. On this, Hull, who had 
already formed the plan of battle which subsequently gave 
him the victory, sternly sent orders that not a piece should 
be discharged again, until he directed. Mean time he kept 
wearing the Constitution, as the movements of the enemy 
required ; for the British frigate was obviously bent on secur- 
ing a raking position. 

For nearly an hour the two ships manoeuvred in this man- 
ner, until, about ten minutes before six, p. m., the English- 
man, finding that he could not gain his point, bore up and 
ran off" under his three topsails and jib, with the wind on his 
quarter. This bold defiance to a yard-arm and yard-arm 
fight was promptly accepted by Hull, who, setting his main- 
topgallantrsail and foresail, turned upon the foe. Every eye 



ISAAC HULL. 237 

on board the Constitution was now directed to the enemy. 
The vast decks were as silent as death, scarcely a sound 
being heard except the deep breathing of the men. In a few 

* minutes the American frigate began to double on the quarter 
of the Englishman. The excitement now grew almost un- 
controllable. The enemy was within half pistol-shot, and 
the Americans were continually falling at their quarters; 
but not a broadside had yet been allowed to be fired from 
the Constitution. Only the high state of discipline in which 
Hull kept his crew could have secured obedience in this 
crisis. At last the Constitution began to double on the 
Englishman, and as her forward guns bore, the order, so 
long delayed, and so eagerly awaited, came. Never did such 
a command find men more passionately eager to obey it. 
Every gun was double-shotted, and aimed with such unerring 
precision, that, at the first discharge, the spars of the enemy 
were heard crashing through the smoke. At this welcome 
sound cheers broke from some of the divisions. These, how- 
ever, were soon drowned in the increasing roar of the strife ; 

^ for, as the Constitution drew slowly ahead, and more of her 
guns bore, the firing on both sides became terrific. Soon 
nothing was heard except the stunning report of the artillery, 
the hissing of round shot, or the hundred commingled noises, 
of battle. 

About ten minutes after six the two frigates were fairly 
side by side, and now the mizzen-mast of the enemy went 
thundering over his quarter. A deafening huzza rose from 
the decks of the Constitution at this spectacle, while that 
ship, wrapped in a shroud of flame and smoke, continued ad- 
vancing, the shrieks of the British and the crashing of tim- 
bers attesting the accuracy and closeness of her awful fire. 
Finding herself passing ahead of the enemy, Hull luffed short 
round his bows ; but in this manoeuvre, the frigate shot into 
the wind, and getting sternway, fell foul of the Englishman. 
The guns of the latter now almost touched the quarter of the 



238 ISAAC HULL. 

Constitution, and, in a few seconds, set fire to her cabin. At 
this spectacle, the British regarded the victory as their own ; 
while the sight of the smoke rolling over the ship and the 
alarm of fire carried dismay, for an instant, through the' 
American frigate. But this terror was only momentary. 
The conflagration was promptly subdued, and the most dan- 
gerous gun of the enemy disabled ; and now the spirits of the 
Constitution's crew rose with a rebound. With words of 
mutual encouragement the men stimulated each other, while 
the wounded, as they were carried from their posts, looked 
beseechingly at their comrades, as if to invoke revenge. The 
din grew awful. As the ships touched, the firing became 
deadlier, that of the Americans being the most rapid, and, 
from their raking position, the most effective. As the con- 
flict deepened, all sounds were lost in the undistinguishable 
tumult of the strife, except when, at intervals, the sharp 
shriek of some wounded enemy pierced the uproar, or the 
dying huzza of an American tar rung through the decks of 
the Constitution. 

In the midst of this tremendous struggle, the British cap- 
tain, finding that the metal of his antagonist was tearing him 
to pieces, called all hands from below, and mustered them on 
his forecastle, intending to board his adversary. Simulta- 
neously Mr. Morris, the first lieutenant of the Constitution, 
endeavoured to lash the ships together ; while Mr. Aluyn, 
the master, and Mr. Bush, of the marines, were on the tafirail, 
waiting to spring. The closeness of the two frigates had 
given full employment to the sharp-shooters of either side, 
and incessant volleys of musketry now rattled in the tumult. 
Morris fell, shot through the body, though fortunately not 
mortally. Aluyn received a bullet in the shoulder. Bush, 
just as he was about to leap, was pierced by a ball in the 
head, and tumbled headlong. On board the enemy the men 
were falling even faster, disappearing under the raking fire 
of the Americans, like summer grass before the mower's 



ISAAC HULL. 239 

scythe. Soon the decks of the British frigate became slippery 
with blood, and the scuppers ran with human gore. The in- 
cessant discharges of musketry from both sides, combined 
with the heavy sea, which now pitched the frigates together, 
and now rolled them asunder, rendered it impossible to board ; 
and the attempt was abandoned on both sides. Hull, at this, 
filled away his sails. As the Constitution shot ahead, the 
foremast of the English frigate fell, carrying down with it 
the niainmast, so that the enemy lay wallowing in the trough, 
without a stick standing, a hopeless wreck. At this specta- 
cle, which assured them of victory, the American crew, by 
an impulse they could not control, simultaneously gave three 
cheers, which rising again, and yet again, over the dying 
reverberations of the fight, made the Constitution quiver from 
her truck to her keel. 

Hull, with a proud exultation, beheld his antagonist, so 
vaunting but fifteen minutes before, now at his mercy ; but 
his prudence did not permit him to risk the loss of a single 
life, by attempting to secure his prey prematurely. He ac- 
cordingly hauled aboard his tacks, ran off a short distance, 
secured his masts, and rove new rigging. At the end of half 
an hour, he was in as favourable a condition for battle as 
when he first went into action ; and, now wearing round, he 
took a position for raking. But, before he opened his fire, 
the enemy, who had doggedly kept a jack flying on the stump 
of his mainmast, lowered this, his last flag, and thus the vic- 
tory was secured, without the renewal of the fight. The 
contest, in all, had lasted only thirty minutes ; sixteen from 
the time the battle began until the enemy lost his mizzen, 
and fourteen from that period to the falling of his two other 
masts. Never had so decisive a triumph been gained over a 
British frigate, by a vessel of equal rate, in so short an inter- 
val. Never, in any battle where the ships of England were 
engaged, had the red-cross suffered so unexpected, so com- 
plete a humiliation. From that hour the charm of her as- 



240 



ISAAC HULL. 




BURKENSEB OF CAPTAIN CAOKES. 



sumed invincibility was broken, and she no longer remained 
sole mistress of the seas. 

The news of the Guerriere's capture was received in Lon- 
don, at first with incredulity, and afterwards with profound 
asit)nishment. A few weeks before, on the declaration of 
war, a leading English journal had alluded contemjDtuously 
to the smallness of the American navy, and asked what 
Great Britain had to fear from " a few fir-built frigates, 
manned by a handful of dastards and outlaws ?" But now 
the tone was changed. Some indeed endeavoured to conceal 
the true nature of the defeat. But others were more candid. 
" We have been accused," said an influential newspaper, " of 
sentiments unworthy of Englishmen, because we described 
what we saw and felt on the occasion of the capture of the 
Guerriere. We witnessed the gloom which that event cast 
over high and honourable minds ; we participated in th« 



ISAAC HULL. 241 

vexation and regret ; and it is the first time that we have 
ever heard that the striking of the flag on the high seas to 
any thing like an equal force, should be regarded by Eng- 
lishmen with complacency or satisfaction. K it be a fault 
to cherish among our countrymen ' that chastity of honour 
which feels a stain like a wound ;' if it be an error to consider 
the reputation of our navy as tenderly and delicately alive 
to reproach — that fault, that error we are likely often to com- 
mit ; and we cannot but consider the sophistry which would 
render us insensible to the dishonour of our flag as pecuharly 
noxious at the present conjuncture. It is not merely that 
an English frigate has been taken, after what we are free to 
confess may be called a brave resistance, but that it has been 
taken by a new enemy, an enemy unaccustomed to such 
triumphs, and likely to be rendered insolent and confident by 
them. He must be a weak politician who does not see how 
important the first triuijiph is in giving a tone and character 
to the war. Never before, in the history of the world, did 
an English frigate strike to an American; and though we 
cannot say that Captain Dacres, under all circumstances, is 
punishable for this act, yet we do say, there are commanders 
in the English navy, who would a thousand times rather 
have gone down with their colours flying, than have set 
their fellow-sailors so fatal an example." 

In the United States, the intelligence of Hull's victory 
was received with equdil astonishment by the people. This 
soon gave place, however, to the most unbounded enthusiasm. 
With naval men the result was less unexpected, though even 
they had looked forward to the struggle with a feeling of 
manly resolution rather than of entire confidence. But 
now, on coolly reviewing the battle, they saw, after making 
every allowance for the heavier metal of the Constitution, 
assurances of future success. The style in which the Ameri- 
can frigate had been handled ; the rapidity of her fire ; and 
the readiness with which, after dismanthng the Guerriere, 



242 ISAAC HULL. 

slie repaired damages, to be ready in case another enemy 
came up, all betokened a self-reliance, coolness, and skill in 
the American marine which foretold new victories to come. 
Hull did not carry the Guerriere into port ; she was too shat- 
tered for this ; accordingly, on the day following the battle, 
she was set on fire, and blown up. The Constitution reached 
Boston on the 30th of August, crowded with prisoners. At 
the unusual spectacle of an American frigate entering port, 
bearing in triumph the flag of a captured British man-of-war, 
the exultation was general, and the intelligence spreading 
rapidly through the city, and into the neighbouring towns, 
the people in wondering and enthusiastic throngs pressed to 
the wharves to behold the victorious ship. Citizens and pub- 
lic bodies vied with each other in showering marks of appro- 
bation on Hull and his crew ; and, for a while, it seemed as 
if the pubhc would go delirious with joy. 

The Constitution now passed into the hands of Bainbridge, 
who had been ordered to take command of her, it will be re- 
collected, prior to her last cruise. Hull, in requital, received 
the command of the navy yard at Charleston. In the fol- 
lowing year, however, he was transferred to that of Ports- 
mouth, in New Hampshire, where he remained until he was 
chosen to be a Navy Commissioner, on the formation of the 
Board. He held this office for a few months only, when he 
returned to the Charleston station. After remaining at this 
post for eight years, he made a cruise in the Pacific, hoisting 
his broad pennant on board the frigate United States. Re- 
turning home in three or four years, he was appointed to 
the command of the navy yard at Washington. At this 
place he continued for seven years, after which he visited 
Europe, with his family, on leave of absence. Subsequently, 
he cruised for nearly three years in the Mediterranean squad- 
ron, his flag-ship being the Ohio line-of-battle ship. This 
was the last occasion on which he ever went to sea. 

His health now began to be impaired, in consequence of 



ISAAC HULL. 243 

Ills long and arduous services, and besides age was stealing 
upon him. He felt accordingly the necessity of relaxation, 
and, applying for an unconditional leave of absence, estab- 
lished himself at Philadelphia, in the autumn of 1842. Here 
he found his strength declining, and, in the increasing pros- 
pect of dissolution, he began, in the beautiful language of 
Scripture, "to set his house in order." He died on the 13th 
of February, 1843. His last request was that he might be 
buried in his uniform. His interment took place at Laurel 
Hill, where a costly and appropriate monument, erected by 
his widow, points out the spot where moulders all that was 
mortal of the hero. 

Hull was intrepid and self-possessed in danger; but had 
little enthusiasm. - In this respect he differed widely from 
Decatur, v/hose hot Celtic blood blazed up at what scarcely 
affected the colder temperament of Hull. An able writer, 
who knew both men well, says that Decatur envied Hull the 
credit of the first victory of the war; but that Hull never 
could have envied Decatur under similar circumstances. 
Hull was exemplary in the performance of his duties, private 
as well as public. He was modest, amiable, and courteous. 
In a word, though few heroes have been less sho^vy, few 
have possessed such sohd merit. 



17 




SHIP-BUI LMNO. 



JACOB JONES. 



In the capture of the Guerriere, the American public found 
but one drawback to their joy; it was the reflection that the 
Constitution had been slightly superior in weight of metal to 
her foe. In consequence, when the first burst of enthusiasm 
was over, there "were not wanting croakers to argue, that be- 
tween vessels of equal force, the old British supremacy would 
be vindicated by a signal victory. Yet scarcely had these 
prognostications been uttered, when they were set at rest 
for ever, by intelligence of the capture of the English brig 
Frolic by the American ship Wasp, the latter bearing the 
same relative inferiority to the former in weight of metal 
which the Guerriere had to the Constitution. The hero of 
this triumph was Jacob Jones. 

Jones was born in 1770, not far from the village of 
Smyrna, in the state of Delaware. He lost his mother while 
he was still an infant, and his father when he was only four 
years old; but his step-mother, for his father had married 
again, treated him in all respects as if her own child, and 
provided for him a liberal education. At the age of eighteen, 
244 



JACOB JONES. 247 

• 

having obtained a thorough knowledge of the Latin and 
Greek tongues, besides the other studies then usually fol- 
lowed in academies of the best repute, he began the study of 
physic and surgery, under Doctor Sykes, an eminent prac- 
titioner of that day, residing at Dover, in his native state. 
He subsequently attended the medical lectures of the Uni- 
versity of Pennsylvania, and, having graduated at that time- 
honoured institution, returned to Dover, to practise his pro- 
fession. 

Discouraged, however, by the small prospect of success, 
for there were already a number of eminent physicians in 
the town, established in business, he determined to seek a 
livelihood by other pursuits ; and accordingly solicited and 
obtained the office of clerk of the Supreme Court of Delaware, 
for the county of Kent. Partly, however, from ill-health 
resulting from his sedentary duties, partly from a longing for 
a more active and ambitious avocation, he decided, after he 
had held this post for some time, to abandon its comparative 
ease and emoluments for the untried life of a sailor, and ac- 
cordingly, at the age of twenty-nine, entered the navy of the 
United States as a midshipman. This was in 1799 at the 
period of the French war. His friends remonstrated against 
his determination, pointing out to him the disadvantages of 
embracing the profession at so late an age ; but their expos- 
tulations were in vain. He felt that he had at last hit upon 
the pursuit for which nature had intended him, and he reso- 
lutely maintained his purpose. 

His first cruise was made on board the United States, 
Commodore Barry, to whom he was indebted, as were so 
many other gallant officers, for those rudiments of nautical 
knowledge which laid the foundation of his subsequent skill 
as a seaman. He next served on board the Ganges twenty- 
four. When the war with Tripoli broke out, he was ordered 
to the Philadelphia, Captain Bainbridge, and was one of the 
unfortunate number who, on the capture of that frigate, be- 



248 JACOB JONES. 

came slaves to the Tripolitans. For twenty months, he and 
his comrades languished in captivity. At length restored to 
liberty by tlie successes of our arms, he returned to the 
United States, and was soon after elevated to the rank of a 
lieutenant. He was now ordered to New Orleans, on which 
station he remained until promoted to the command of the 
brig Argus, with directions to cruise on the southern mari- 
time frontier. In 1811, he was advanced to the Wasp, a 
sloop-of-war mounting eighteen twenty-four pound carron- 
ades, a beautiful ship, and a fast cruiser. In this vessel he 
was sent out, in the spring of 1812, with despatches to our 
ministers at the courts of Great Britain and France. Be- 
fore his return, war had been declared with the former power. 
He accordingly lost no time, on arriving in the Delaware, in 
refitting his ship ; and soon sailed on a cruise. He ran off 
Boston, made one capture, and, after an absence of three 
weeks, returned to the Delaware. On the 13th of October, 
he put to sea again, this time destined, before he returned, to 
achieve a signal victory over a superior force. 

He had been out four days, when, about an hour before 
midnight, in latitude 37° N., and longitude 65° W., several 
sail were made. Keeping close to the strangers, Jones waited 
for the dawn, when he discovered them to be a convoy of six 
English ships, under charge of a heavy brig-of-war. Four of 
the convoy appeared to be armed, but the brig showed no 
disposition to avail herself of their assistance, shortening sail, 
and allowing them to pass ahead, while she prepared for 
battle. As a heavy sea was going, Jones sent down his top- 
gallant yards, close reefed his topsails, and otherwise brought 
the Wasp under short fighting canvas. The enemy was also 
under little sail, and had his main-yard on deck, where it 
had been lowered for repairs. Both vessels showing such 
readiness to engage, they were soon alongside, when the ac- 
tion began. The fire of the English brig was at first the 
most rapid, and, being directed principally at the spars of the 



JACOB JONES. 249 

"Wasp, soon told with terrible effect. . Within five minutes 
after the first gun was discharged, the main-topmast of the 
American ship was shot away; and in eight minutes the 
gafi" and mizzen top-gallantmast also fell. The British, con- 
sidering the day won, cheered at this spectacle ; and already 
began to boast to each other of their prize-mojiey. 

But if the fire of the enemy was the most rapid, that of the 
Americans was the most deadly ; and the English, even in 
the midst of their huzzas, began to shrink from their guns. 
The side of the Wasp now rubbed against the bows of her 
antagonist, and, in another minute, the ships came foul, the 
bowsprit of the foe overlapping the quarter-deck of the Ameri- 
can, forcing her bows up into the wind, and enabling the 
latter to throw in a close raking fire. The vessels were now 
so near that in loading the Wasp's guns, the rammers fre- 
quently struck the bows of her opponent. Mean time, the 
Americans, burning to revenge the injury to their spars, 
maintained a terrific fire, which soon drove the enemy from 
his forward guns, a sight which the crew of the Wasp hailed 
in turn with huzzas. One or two of the carronades were 
now discharged, raking the decks of the foe for their whole 
length, and when the smoke cleared off, the British sailors 
were seen wildly flying below. At this spectacle, the enthu- 
siasm of the' Americans burst all disciplme. Leaving their 
guns, they leaped into the-rigging, and from thence sprang 
upon the bowsprit of the enemy, preparatory to swarming 
over his deck. Finding that the men. were not to be re- 
strained. Lieutenant Biddle placed himself at their head, and 
boarded the foe. On the forecastle of the brig he passed all 
his own people ; but there was no enemy to oppose him. 
Two or three wounded officers were standing aft ; and the 
decks were strewed with the dead and dying ; but not a soli- 
tary seaman was at his post, except the man at the wheel. 

As Mr. Biddle passed aft, the British officers threw down 
their swords in token of submission. Springing irto the 



2o0 JACOB JONES. 

main rigging, he hauled down the English flag. Meantime 
the Americans took possession of every part of the prize, and 
with that clemency which ought always to distinguish victors, 
forbore from injuring, or even insulting, their unfortunate 
prisoners. The firing now ceased, at fifteen minutes past 
meridian, the combat having lasted about three quarters of an 
hour. The prize proved to be the Frolic, Captain Whin- 
yates, homeward bound, with the vessels in the Honduras 
trade under convoy. She was of the size and construction 
of the Wasp, except that she was finished as a brig; but she 
carried 'four guns more than the American ship. The Wasp 
was much cut up, and had five of her crew killed, and five 
wounded. The Frolic, when taken possession of by the 
victors, was almost a wreck ; her hull was perforated in every 
direction, and her spars and rigging, especially the former, 
had sufiered great damage, Scarcely had the two vessels 
been separated, after the action, when both her masts fell. 
Her Ipss in killed and wounded, though terribly severe, was 
never accurately known. Mr. Biddle estimated it at seventy 
or eighty ; but Captain Whinyates, in his official report, says 
that not twenty of his men escaped unhurt, which would 
raise the casualties to one hundred. 

Scarcely was the action over, when a strange sail, evidently 
a ship of force, waff discerned approaching. Mr. Biddle was 
plaqed in charge of the prize, with orders to direct his course 
to Charleston; and the Wasp, throwing out her canvas, 
undertook to escape in a different direction. But cripjoled as 
she was, this proved to be impossible. The stranger came 
up rapidly, proving to be a line-of-battle ship, and, throwing 
a shot over the Frolic, ranged up close to the Wasp. It was 
with inexpressible chagrin that Jones beheld his prize thus 
ravished from him, and saw himself, so late a victor, obliged 
to assume the place of prisoner ; but resistance would have 
been madness ; and accordingly both the ship and brig sur- 
rendered. The line-of-battle proved to be the Poictiers, Caj)- 



JACOB JONES. 251 

tain Beresford. The Americans were carried to Bermuda, 
where Jones and his officers were treated with especial cour- 
tesy, dinners, balls, and other entertainments being given for 
their amusement. In a few weeks, a cartel was prepared, hj 
which the officers and crew of the Wasp were carried to New 
York. On his arrival in the United States, Jones was re- 
ceived with an almost wild enthusiasm. His brilliant victory 
was the general theme of conversation. Himself and his offi- 
cers were welcomed with applause wherever they went. The 
different Atlantic cities vied with each other in the splendour 
of the entertainments with which they greeted him during 
his journey to Washington. His native state voted him a 
piece of plate. Congress shared in the popular acclamations, 
and appropriated twenty-five thousand dollars to Jones and 
his crew, for the loss they had sustained by the recapture 
of the Frolic. A gold medal was bestowed on Jones, a 
silver medal on each of the commissioned officers. In a 
word, the nation went wild with joy. 

Jones was now appointed to the Macedonian, and attached 
to Decatur's squadron, which, at this time, was preparing to 
get to sea from New York, by way of Long Island Sound. 
But the vessels, having been chased into New London by a 
superior force of British ships, were compelled to lie in that 
port during the remainder of the war. Jones, on this, was 
detached from the Macedonian, and ordered, with his officers 
and crew, to join Chauncey on Lake Ontario. Here he was 
placed in command of the frigate Mohawk. But no further 
opportunity was presented for distinguishing himself, as the 
British and American fleets on this lake did not come to any 
action. At the conclusion of peace, Jones was again sum- 
moned to the Atlantic seaboard, with his officers and crew, 
and directed to assume his old post on board the Macedonian, 
it being the intention of the government to despatch a squad- 
ron, of which she was to form a part, to chastise the Algerines 
for having taken occasion of our war with England, to depre- 



252 JACOB JONES. 

date on our commerce in the Mediterranean. The command 
of this fleet was given to Decatur, who executed his task 
with rigour and success, as we shall have occasion to narrate 
in his biography. 

In 1821, Jones visited the Mediterranean again, this time 
with the broad pennant of a commodore flying. On his re- 
turn he was offered and accepted a seat as one of the Board 
of Navy Commissioners. In 1826 he resigned this post, to 
accept the Pacific squadron. He subsequently commanded 
at the Baltimore station, then at New York, and afterwards 
at Philadelphia, where he died, August the third 18-50. 

Jones was fond of social life. Cheerful in his habits, 
amiable in temper, and intelligent in conversation, he was 
always popular, though a certain dignity prevented too much 
familiarity. As an officer he was strict, brave, and impartial. 




DECATUR'S FIGHT WITH THE TRIPOUTAN CAPTAIN. 



STEPHEN" DECATUR. 



If we had faith in the doctrine of transmigration, we 
should beUeve that the soul of Du Guesclin or Ibberville 
had re-appeared after an absence of centuries, in Stephen 
Decatur. His headlong daring, his chivalrous exploits, the 
blaze of splendour he always drew after him, dazzle and ex- 
cite the mind as when we peruse the deeds of some knight 
of old romance. There is, perhaps, no other name in Ameri- 
can naval history which can make the pulses thrill like that 
of Decatur. 

He was a man, indeed, who, in a remoter age, would have 
passed for a demi-god. What Achilles was to Greece, what 
Hector to Troy, what King Arthur to ancient Armorica, that 
Decatur was and will be to the United States. Paul Jones, 
who is sometimes compared to him, does not belong, as Deca- 

255 



256 STEPHEN DECATUR. 

tur did, entirely to America. He was less of a patriot and 
more of an adventurer, Decatur, on the other hand, is 
wholly ours — ours by birth, education, and sepulture. Under 
no other flag than that of America did he ever sail. His 
first pulsation as well as his last was for his native land ; his 
victories were all for her. His desire for glory, indeed, like 
that of Paul Jones, was a devouring passion, an insatiate 
thirst. The knowledge that a rival had surpassed him, 
would have broken his proud heart. But this eagerness, un- 
like that of his great rival, was not entirely selfish ; for De- 
catur sought renown equally for America and for himself. 

Decatur was born in 1779, on the eastern shore of Mary- 
land, whither his family had fled from Philadelphia, during 
the occupation of the latter by the British. His ancestors, 
for two generations, had been seamen. His grandfather was 
a Frenchman, who, making a voyage to Newport, had fallen 
in love with and married a daughter of that town. His 
father was one of the most accomplished men of his profes- 
sion, who had passed from the mercantile to the public 
marine during the war of independence, and had established 
a reputation so high, that when the merchants of Philadelphia 
built the frigate of that name and presented her to the 
United States, they requested that the elder Decatur might 
be appointed to command her. Descended from such pro- 
genitors, the subject of our memoir early imbibed a fondness 
for the sea. His mother indeed strove to persuade him from 
his purpose, for she indulged the hope of seeing her son some 
day an eminent divine ; but it is fortunate that she was 
finally induced to yield to his inclination. Men of Decatur's 
temperament make great soldiers, but in other pursuits are 
indifferent. The unquenchable desire for glory which rages 
within them, impels them to war as the only legitimate vent 
to their volcanic natures ; and the attempt to repress or 
turn aside their energies frequently plunges them into the 
most terrible excesses. No sedentary profession, be it the 



STEPHEN DECATUR. 257 

bar, the forum, or the pulpit, will satisfy organizations like 
that of Decatur. Give the eagle the free air for scope, and 
he soars to the sun ; but chain him to earth, and he tears 
himself to pieces. 

At the age of nineteen a midshipman's warrant was pro- 
cured for Decatur hy his father's friend, Commodore Barry, 
under whom he made his first cruise in the frigate United 
States. This was during the French war of 1798. No sig- 
nal opportunity for distinction presented itself to him, but he 
performed his duty zealously, and so favourably impressed 
his commander, that, after the probation of a year, he was 
promoted to the rank of lieutenant. Already he had become 
celebrated for his chivalrous courage. An instance, in proof 
of this, is narrated as happening during this early period. 
He was idly sauntering on the quarter-deck one morning, 
when the cry, " A man overboard !" rang through the ship. 
Immediately the utmost consternation ensued, during which 
the loud, quick voice of the officer of the deck was heard 
shouting, " Second cutters away ! third cutters away !" Sud- 
denly a tall form rushed to the mizzeij chains, and, the next 
moment, plunged headlong into the water. The officers hur- 
ried to the stern. There, amid the boiling wake, was Deca- 
tur, supporting the drowning man with one arm, and vigor- 
ously buffeting the waves with another. A tumultuous 
cheer broke from the crew, and the rescuer and rescued were 
soon taken up by the boats. From that hour dates Decatur's 
influence with seamen. 

In 1801, when the dubious conduct of Tripoli led to the 
prospect of a war with that marauding power, Decatur sailed 
for the Mediterranean, in Commodore Dale's squadron, as 
first lieutenant of the Essex. His selection for this post, 
when he had been only three years in the navy, is a conclu- 
sive proof of his high professional ability. Nothing was 
done by Dale's squadron beyond taking precautionary mea- 
sures, if we except an engagement between the schooner 



258 STEPHEN DECATUR. 

Enterprise and a Tripolitan ship of fourteen guns, in which 
the latter was beaten. In June, 1802, the Essex returned 
to th? United States. Decatur remained but a few weeks on 
shore, however, for in September he sailed again for the 
Mediterranean, as first lieutenant of the frigate New York. 
Active hostilities had now been authorized by Congress 
against Tripoli. No chance for winning renown was afforded 
to the fleet, however, the war languishing for more than a 
year. In 1803, in consequence of a duel in wMch he had 
been engaged as second, and in which the secretary of Sir 
Alexander Ball, governor of Malta, had been killed, it was 
thought advisable to send Decatur home, in order to evade a 
request for his surrender, which it was neither just to grant 
nor politic to refuse. Towards the close of the year, how- 
ever, he returned to the Mediterranean, where he now com- 
manded the schooner Enterprise. He had scarcely arrived 
at the scene of war, when he learned the capture of the 
frigate Philadelphia, Captain Bainbridge, which, having 
struck on a rock off Tripoli, had fallen a prey, with all her 
crew, to the inhuman foe. The idea immediately oc- 
curred to Decatur of recapturing, or at least destroying the 
Philadelphia. He suggested his plan to Preble, then in com- 
mand of the squadron, who, after sufficient hesitation to 
enable him maturely to examine the subject, consented that 
Decatur should make the attempt. The commodore, how- 
ever, knowing the difficulty, if not impossibility, of bringing 
off the Philadelphia, made it imperative on Decatur that he 
should burn the frigate, and not risk any lives by an attempt 
that must prove vain. The enterprise was successfully con- 
summated by Decatur, as we shall presently narrate, and 
laid the foundation for the title, which in after years he ob- 
tained from Europe, of the " Champion of Christendom." 

To appreciate fully the gallantry of this exploit, we must 
reflect on the character of the Tripolitans, and the fate which 
would have been Decatur's, in case of failure. For three 



STEPHEN DECATUR. 259 

centuries the Barbaiy powers had been the terror of the 
Mediterranean. Their corsairs had plundered the commerce 
of every nation which did n-ot pay them tribute, and accord- 
ingly, partly from fear, partly from meaner motives, the 
proudest as well as the weakest European powers subsi- 
dized them. The fear of the Barbary pirates was particu- 
larly strong among the inhabitants of the contiguous shores 
of Spain, France, and Italy. Watch-towers were established 
along these coasts to give warning of the appearance of cor- 
sairs in the offing ; and at sight of the beacons lighted on 
their summits, a scene of terror and confusion indescribable 
ensued. The bells tolled from village to village, carrying 
the alarm far inland ; the women clasped their children, and, 
gathering a few movables, began a speedy flight ; the men 
drove ojff the cattle ; the priests deserted the churches ; and 
the sick, almost mute with fear at beholding this universal 
desertion, implored for death as mercy when compared to 
Algerine slavery. Thousands of Christians captives, not- 
withstanding these precautions, were annually ravished into 
Moslem bondage. Those thus carried off were like the 
melancholy beings whom Dante saw passing through that 
awful gate, over whose portals gleamed the terrible warning, 
" Who enters here, bids farewell to hope." Few of the cap- 
tives, indeed, ever returned. The youth passed gradually 
to manhood, and then on to decrepit old age, vainly revolv- 
ing plans of escape ; the virgin, in all her purity and bloom, 
submitted to the fate she loathed, or sought relief in self- 
inflicted death ; the husband abandoned for ever the thought 
of beholding his adored wife ; and the weeping parent breathed 
an eternal adieu to his children. The victims of that hor- 
rible slavery were as if dead to their European connections ; 
and yet they lived on, and on, and on, in immitigable de- 
spair. Stripes, fetters, and frequently impalement was their 
lot. Sometimfes a few would join in an attempt to escape, 
but, being nearly always discovered, this only led to deeper 

18 



260 STEPHEN DECATUR. 

Tiiiserj. Occasionally, by the will of a humane Christian, or 
the funds of an ecclesiastical charity, the freedom of a few 
of these captives would be purchased at an extravagant 
price ; and if men had risen from the dead, they would not 
have awakened more wonder, than did these miserable crea- 
tures on returning to their native land on such occasions. 
The event indeed was so rare that, when it happened, it was 
welcomed with the thunder of cannon, the ringing of bells, 
and every other demonstration of rejoicing. For hundreds 
of years, as we have said, this horrible piracy was allowed 
to disgrace the Mediterranean. The United States was the 
first power to strike *i blow at it, and Decatur was the man, 
above all others, who destroyed it. When his victories over 
the red-cross of England shall be forgotten, and the distinc- 
tion of Briton and American lost in the twilight of history, 
his exploits in the Mediterranean will be remembered, and 
his name in connection with them decorate, perhaps, some 
mythic legend. 

Decatur sailed from Syracuse on the 3d of February, 1804, 
in the ketch Intrepid, accompanied by Lieutenant Stewart 
in the schooner Siren ; and arrived off Tripoli on the 7tli of 
the same month. The crew of the ketch consisted of seventy- 
five picked men, and she mounted four small guns. With 
this force Decatur, however, undertook to enter a harbour 
defended by one hundred and fifteen guns of heavy calibre, 
with a garrison proportionately strong. At seven o'clock in 
the evening, the Intrepid reached the mouth of the port. 
The attack was to have been made jointly by the Intrepid 
and the boats of the Siren at ten o'clock, but the wind threat- 
ening to be uncertain, and the Siren being yet far in the 
ofihig, Decatur resolved to prosecute the enterprise alone. 
The night was already obscure, though not wholly dark. 
The young moon hung over the blue Mediterranean, her 
light playing tremulously on the waters and*diffusing a soft 
radiance around. A mild air was creeping gently in towards 



STEPHEN DECATUR. 261 

the shore, and as the ketch approached the land, the shape- 
less outlines of the fortifications began to assume form. Here 
and there a lateen sail could be seen skimming into the har- 
bour, where it quietly dropped anchor and folded its wings. 
As the ketch slowly advanced, objects on shore became more 
distinguishable. The different batteries could now be made 
out, the bashaw's palace, and the score of minarets on the 
hill-side. The restless murmur of the day had already sub- 
sided, and no sound broke the stillness of the evening, except 
the rustle made by the ketch as she rippled through the 
water, or the faint sound of a voice from some distant barque. 
Decatur stood, with folded arms, watching the object of his 
enterprise, as she lay dismantled close under the walls of the 
bashaw's palace. 

More than an hour had elapsed since the ketch had en- 
tered the outer harbour. Her crew, meantime, had been 
artfully concealed, so that she might be thought to be merely 
a coaster. But now the little craft had approached so near 
her destination that Decatur feared every moment the Turks 
would detect her real character ; especially as she had been 
forced to leave the usual track of trading vessels, in' order to 
draw sufficiently near to the frigate. Her progress was now 
extremely slow, and for the last ten minutes, the heart of 
Decatur beat with anxious suspense. When the Intrepid had 
nearly reached her destination, the Turks, who had been 
idly watching her, began, for the first time, to show . sus- 
picions, and ordered her to keep off. Meantime a boat had 
been got out, in order to carry a line aboard the frigate, De- 
catur pretending that he had lost his anchors and wished to 
warp in. Suddenly one of the enemy cried out, " Ameri- 
canos ! Americanos !" Now that he was discovered, our 
heroic young officer saw not an instant was to be lost, but 
immediately laid his craft aboard. Summoning the boarders, 
who leaped from their hiding-places, he rushed at the 
frigate's sides, followed by all his men, except a few who 



2G2 STEPHEN DECATUR. 

were detailed to guard the ketch. In a minute they were 
on the enemy's deck. The appearance of the assailants was 
so sudden, their onset so fierce, and the whole scene so start- 
ling, that the Turks made but a feeble resistance, and soon 
fled in dismay. The fight did not last five minutes. , About 
twenty of the enemy fell, and the remainder leaped over- 
board. When Decatur thus found himself in possession of 
the vessel, which had been built for his father, and which 
his own gallantry had almost miraculously recovered, he felt 
a momentary pang that his orders forbade his carrying her 
off. But reflection soon convinced him that th6 attempt 
would be vain, for the frigate was surrounded by hostile can- 
non, and was moreover wholly dismantled. He, therefore, 
proceeded to set her on fire. As every thing had been ar- 
ranged beforehand, and each man knew his task, this duty 
was speedily performed. The flames were lighted in three 
different spots at once, and soon had taken such hold of the 
ship as to render her destruction certain. When Decatur 
saw this, he called all hands, and, retreating to the ketch, 
pushed off", for it was necessary to get clear of the frigate be- 
fore she blew up, and this, he knew, would happen in a few 
minutes, since the ship had been fired in two places not far 
from the magazine. 

By this time the neighbouring shipping and the town had 
become alarmed. The harbour was like a hive of bees sud- 
denly disturbed by some bold intruder. Boats were pulling 
to and fro ; sailors were calling in alarm from ketch to ketch ; 
and lights were flashing in the corsairs, along the shore, and 
through the embrasures of the batteries. For a time it had 
seemed as if the enemy had been stupified by the boldness 
of the attack; but now all this had passed away, and an 
angry murmur, deepening every minute, rose up from harbour 
and city. Suddenly a heavy piece of ordnance - from the 
bashaw's palace boomed across the night ; it was echoed by 
a cannon on the opposite side of the port ; the corsairs trailed 



STEPHEN DECATUR. 263 

their guns; and soon the whole circle of batteries, which 
girdled the harbour, was thundering incessantly, until the 
water, the ships, and the hills around trembled with the ex- 
plosions. Fortunately the breeze sprang up at this crisis, 
and began to blow steadily out of the harbour. The Intrepid 
was accordingly put before the wind, the men aiding her 
with their long sweeps. As they turned to depart, the sailors, 
by a common impulse, gave three hearty cheers, and then, 
stooping to their oars, drove their gallant craft vigorously 
through the water. At this, the batteries played fiercer and 
more frequent. Shot after shot whistled close over the heads 
of the Americans, or, plunging into the bay near them, threw 
showers of spray around. It was a strange spectacle to see 
the little bark holding her charmed path in the centre of that 
concentric fire, her prow pointed unwaveringly towards the 
opening ahead, where the harbour swelled out into the bound- 
less expanse of the Mediterranean. 

The scene behind now approached sublimity. The town, 
by this time, was everywhere in an uproar. Lights were 
glancing from house to house along the water edge, and all 
up and around the hilly amphitheatre on which the city stood. 
The black walls of the batteries were illuminated incessantly 
by the flashes of their guns. But the most striking object 
of all was the burning frigate in the foreground. The flames 
had now completely mastered her; they leaped from the 
port-holes, ran licking up the shrouds, or whirled from spar 
to spar in mad contortions. Soon the whole vessel was 
wrapped in fire, columns of which streaming up, intense and 
dazzling, towards the sky, were there reflected back from an 
inky canopy of smoke, that, like the wing of the destroying 
angel, hung ominously over the scene. Far and wide the 
glitter of the flames danced on the waters, shone along the 
houses on the hill, played luridly on the ships in port, or 
flung a ghastly and spectral aspect over objects visible in the 
distance. To heighten the sublimity of the scene, the guns 



2G4 



STEPHEN DECATUR. 









BURNING OP THE FRIGATE PniLADELPHU. 



of the frigate began to get heated and go off. The explosion 
of the fated vessel was now momently expected ; and a pro- 
found silence ensued, more terrible than the late uproar. 
The batteries ceased firing, the shouts from the shipping died 
away, the thousand cries of the town and harbour were stilled. 
It was as if the pulse of Nature had been suddenly stopped. 
And on this breathless scene, the burning ship, the awe- 
hushed town, the shrouded sky, the young moon looked down 
at intervals, her calm, unruffled face appearing and disap- 
pearing as the smoke drifted in huge masses down the firma- 
ment. 

Meanwhile the boats of the Siren had been rowing to and 
fro outside the harbour, their crews trembling for the success 
of Decatur's hazardous enterprise. For more than an hour 
they watched the slow progress of the ketch with intense 
anxiety. At any moment they knew her character might 
be discovered, when her destruction was regarded as inevita- 
ble, even by the most sanguine. Nearer and nearer they 



STEPHEN DECATUR. . 265 

saw her approach to the frigate, until, at last, they lost sight 
of her altogether. The suspense now grew intolerable. It 
was far greater than that of the crew of the Intrepid, for they 
were stimulated by the near approach of action, while their 
comrades in the boats outside could only idly look on. 
Eagerly they listened for some sound of strife, but none 
came. They watched for a rocket which Decatur had pro- 
mised to send up in case of success, but the moments passed 
and it did not appear. Stewart, who had remained on board 
the Siren, about six miles in the offing, was harassed by 
equal doubts. Hour after hour he looked out into the gloom 
towards Tripoli, to see if he could discover any token of the 
progress of events. The evening had not arrived when he 
parted from Decatur, and now nine o'clock had come, yet 
still there was no signal from the adventurers. Suddenly a 
rocket shot up into the sky. Stewart knew now that Deca- 
tur had reached the frigate; but would he escape? The 
events that followed passed like those of a dream. Flames 
were seen circling from the harbour, and soon the blaze illu- 
minated the shore far and near, and flashed back from sails 
in the Mediterranean miles away. Then the roar of artillery 
rose upon the silence. After a while this passed, and all 
was again hushed. Stewart's anxiety for his friend now be- 
came intense. At last, a vivid stream of light shot into the 
sky, followed by an explosion that made the Siren tremble 
to her keel. Was it the frigate, or the Intrepid, that had 
blown up ? The suspense continued for some time longer, 
when suddenly the rollicking of oars was heard, and immedi- 
ately a boat dashed out of the shadows ahead. As soon as 
it touched the schooner's side, Decatur leaped on board, the 
first man to announce his own success. 

This exploit at once placed Decatur at the Jiead of our 
naval heroes in the popular estimation. On the reception of 
the news by Congress, he was raised to the rank of post^cap- 
tain, almost by acclamation. Nothing was now regarded as 



26 6 . ' STEPHEN DECATUR. 

bej^ond his capacity. Nor did cooler heads entirely resist 
the influence of the hour. Preble eulogized him in the high- 
est terms. The officers whom he overleaped by his promo- 
tion were the first to express congratulations at his rise.^ 
Nelson emphatically declared the burning of the Philadel- 
phia the most brilliant deed of the age. All men united to 
extol the youth of twenty-four, who, by a single dazzling 
exploit, had eclipsed the reputation of the oldest captains. 
Henceforth the name of Decatur became a rallying point, 
around which, as around the white plume of Henry of Na- 
varre, the boldest always gathered. He had already so en- 
tirely attached to himself several petty officers and a portion 
of his crew, that, in all his subsequent changes of command, 
they followed him from ship to ship. Indeed, in winning 
the devotion of inferiors he has never had his equal in our 
navy. His faculty, in this respect, amounted to genius. In 
penetrating the characters of those he met, he also possessed 
nearly unrivalled skill. Of books he knew little, but of men 
much. He could tell exactly the kind of person he required 
for any particular purpose, and was never mistaken in the 
selection. No individual with this keen insight into others' 
hearts could be merely a courageous animal, as Decatur is 
represented by some of his more ignorant biographers. The 
bravery of his own soul, on the contrary, had that electric 
power of communicating its resolution to the masses, which 
is the highest attribute of mind. Decatur rose above all his 
contemporaries, the type of heroic courage, of chivalrous en- 
terprise, of romantic glory. He was one of those men, who 
appear at long intervals, destined to give impulse, not only 
to their age, but to all future times. 

Early in the summer succeeding the destruction of the 
Philadelphia, Preble at the head of his squadron proceeded 
to Tripoli. He arrived off that port on the 13th of June, 
and began to treat for the ransom of prisonerfe ; but receiving 
intelligence of a threatened rupture with Tunis, he soon after 



STEPHEN DECATUR. 267 

sailed for the latter place. Having confirmed the wavering 
friendship of the Bey, and recruited his force, he appeared 
before Tripoli again on the 25th of July. He was making 
preparations to bombard the town, when a gale arose, which 
compelled him to put to sea. At last the tempest abated, 
and on the 3d of August, Preble began his long-contemplated 
attack. His plan was to bombard the batteries, while at the 
same time he attacked, with his gun-boats, the galleys of the 
enemy. The gun-boats were arranged in two divisions of 
three each, the first of which was led by Lieutenant Somers, 
the second by Decatur. At three, p. m., the action began by 
throwing shells into the town. Instantly the gun-boats of 
the Turks stood out to meet those of the assailants, relying 
on their superior numbers for a victory. Decatur, being to 
windward of Somers, was able to reach the foe first. The 
division which opposed him consisted of nine gun-boats, but 
nevertheless he steadily advanced, pouring in a shower of 
grape and musket-balls. While bearing down on the enemy, 
his brother, who commanded one of the boats of Somers, shot 
ahead of the rest of that officer's division, and, finding Deca- 
tur about to engage such an overw^helming force,, steered to 
his assistance. Meantime one of Decatur's boats had been 
crippled and dropped astern. With the other three, how- 
ever, he dashed into the midst of the Tripolitan fleet, and 
each boat running on board of one of the enemy's, a terrible 
struggle ensued, hand to hand, between the crews. Decatur 
was soon victorious over his opponent, and, taking his prize 
in tow, was proceeding out of the harbour, when the boat 
which his brother had led dropped under his stern, and in- 
formed him that Lieutenant James Decatur, after having 
captured one of the enemy's craft, had been treacherously 
shot through the head when about taking possession. 

The sight of his dying brother and the reflection of the 
baseness of the act inflamed Decatur to a pitch little short of 
madness, and immediately laying the head of his boat in 



268 STEPHEN DECATUR. 

the direction of that in which the murderer had sought 
refuge, he bore down anew upon the fleet. He soon reached 
the vessel he sought, and leaped on board, though but ten 
followers were left him. Now ensued one of those awful 
personal encounters between man and man, which carry 
back the imagination to the days of Bayard, if not of Rich- 
ard the Lion-hearted. The crack of pistols, the flash of cut- 
lasses, the push of the pike, the crash of the battle-axe min- 
gled together in that terrible melee ; while shouts from either 
side rose continually above the noise of arms, and the boats 
rocked under the contending, parties. For twenty minutes 
the contest raged with the utmost fury, at the end of which 
period one-fourth of Decatur's force was totally disabled. 
Had it not been for their heroic leader, the Americans would 
long since have succumbed to the overwhelming numbers. 
But, in that hour, Decatur fought with the fury of ten ordi- 
nary men. The countenance of his dying brother was con- 
tinually before him, and revenge added double power to each 
blow. At last he descried the wretch who had dealt the 
perfidious shot, and, in an instant, scattering the intervening 
combatants right and left, he stood before the assassin. The 
man was of gigantic size, with a face which looked ferocity 
itself. Decatur was armed with a cutlass, the Turk with a 
heavily ironed boarding-pike. At the first pass, Decatur's 
weapon broke at the hilt. But his lion-like nature was now 
fully aroused, and, regardless of his unarmed condition, he 
sprang in on his foe. The Tripolitan met him with a thrust, 
and the sharp weapon entered Decatur's breast ; but tearing 
it from the wound, he closed with the wretch, and they fell 
together on the deck, the American being uppermost. At 
this spectacle the Turks rushed to the rescue of their leader, 
and one of them aimed a blow from behind at Decatur's 
head, which would have proved mortal, if a seaman, named 
Reuben James, who had lost the use of both arms by wounds, 
had not flung himself between the descending cimeter and its 



STEPHEN DECATUR. 269 

prey, heroically receiving on his own head the stroke aimed 
at his commander. But this self-sacrifice had nearly proved 
unavaiUng ; for suddenly the Turk, wrenching himself around, 
threw Decatur under, and, drawing a yataghan, instantane- 
ously thrust at his foe. The spectators held their breath. 
It was too late to interfere ; the flash descended ; every one 
expected to behold Decatur fall dead. But suddenly he was 
seen to clutch the blade, draw a pistol with his other hand, 
and fire. The Turk relaxed his hold and fell back, while 
Decatur sprang victorious to his feet. His little band, trans- 
ported beyond themselves, burst into a cheer, and, in less 
than another minute, the day was won. It is pleasing to 
record that the valiant seaman who saved Decatur's life sur- 

. . . 9 

vived, and subsequently became his favourite coxswam. 

Throughout the whole of the ensuing operations before 
Tripoli, during which four other attacks were made on the 
place, Decatur played a prominent part. On every suitable 
occasion he displayed the same dashing courage as in his 
action with the gun-boats. Indeed, after that of Preble, 
there is no name so inseparably linked with the glories of the 
Tripolitan war as that of Decatur, and in the popular esti- 
mation it even stands first. The contest with this Barbary 
power was the school of our infant liavy. It was during 
these hostilities that Stewart, Macdonough, and many other 
heroic souls, learned the art of war. But Decatur was not 
so much a pupil as an instructor. He was ever foremost in 
the most perilous enterprises, and celebrated not less for his 
sagacity than for his indomitable bravery. The eyes of his 
countrymen followed him during his splendid career on the 
coast of Africa, as we follow the track of some meteor that 
suddenly fills the firmament with brilliancy. It was while 
before Tripoli that Decatur received his commission as post- 
captain, and this immediately gave him that precedence in 
rank which he had long enjoyed in reputation. About the 
middle of September, the squadron sailed for Syracuse, Preble 



270 STEPHEN DECATUR. 

having been superseded by Commodore Samuel Barron. In 
consequence of this change, Decatur obtained command of 
the Constitution. At this period he was only twenty-five 
years old. Few naval heroes, at so early an age, have been 
thus honoured ! / 

Decatur now received, from the most distinguished sources, 
compliments on his late dazzling exploits. Sir Alexander 
Ball, the British governor of Malta, spoke in the highest 
terms of his conduct. The pope declared, principally in allu- 
sion to Decatur, that "the United States, though in their 
infancy, had done more to humble the Barbary powers than 
all the European states for a long period of time." At Naples 
Decatur was hailed as the " Terror of the foe." Peace having 
been concluded with Tripoli in June, 1805, without any fur- 
ther demonstrations except maintaining a rigid blockade, 
Decatur returned to the United States, and here the enthu- 
siasm, arising out of his gallant behaviour in the Mediterra- 
nean, even exceeded that displayed abroad. He was received 
with festive balls, with the acclamations of the crowd, with 
the congratulations of the veterans of his profession, with 
public dinners, and with every other demonstration of the 
esteem of his countrymen. Congress had already voted him 
a sword. He could scarcely believe in the reality of all this 
popularity. It seemed to him like a dream. He had gone 
abroad unknown ; he had come back famous. He seemed 
at the highest pinnacle of glory : and yet greater renown was 
before him. 

The interval between his return from Tripoli and the 
breaking out of the war with England, in 1812, was spent by 
Decatur chiefly on shore. During this interval he married. 
When Barron, in consequence of the affair with the Leopard, 
was removed from the Chesapeake, Decatur was a23pointed 
to succeed him, and directed, with a fleet of accomjDanying 
gun-boats, to guard the southern coast. He now, for the 
first time, hoisted liis broad pennant as commodore. His age 



STEPHEN DECATUR. 271 

was but twenty-eight when he received this title. He sub- 
sequently formed one of the court-martial, though much 
against his wishes, which tried Barron ; and the unfavourable 
opinion he had already formed against that officer was here 
strengthened. Frank and decided, Decatur did not, at any 
time afterwards, conceal his sentiments on this subject; and 
hence arose those difficulties between him and Barron which, 
at a later day, led to his death at the hands of the latter. 
But of this in its proper place. 

The declaration of war, on the 18th of June, 1812, found 
Decatur in command of the frigate United States, as flag-ship 
of the Chesapeake squadron. In anticipation of hostilities, 
however, he had been ordered to join Kodgers at New York, 
where he accordingly arrived on the 21st of June, simulta- 
neously with the announcement, at that place, of the war. 
That very evening, the commodore put to sea, accomjDanied 
by Decatur, in hopes to overtake the homeward-bound Ja- 
maica fleet; but, after a month's cruise, during which the 
prey was frequently missed only by a few hours, he returned 
unsuccessful to port. On the 8 th of October Rodgers again 
sailed, with a fleet composed of the President, United States, 
Congress, and Argus. When a few days out, the United 
States became separated from the rest of the squadron, and, 
standing away to the southward and eastward, had the good 
fortune, on the 25th of October, near the island of Madeira, 
to discover an English frigate. Decatur had been dissatisfied 
with his star from the moment that he had heard of the cap- 
ture of the Guerriere, for he had wished to be the first to 
take a frigate from the enemy ; but now he ceased to lament 
fate, and, with joyful exultation, prepared for action. The 
Macedonian, being the swiftest ship, and having the advan- 
tage of the wind, might have escaped if she desired ; but her 
commander. Captain Carden, knowing his ship to be one of 
the best in the British navy, and holding the Americans in 
comparative contempt, for he had not yet heard of Hull's 



272 STEPHEN DECATUR. 

victory in the Constitution, was only too eager to close. By 
a strange coincidence, Decatur and Garden had often met be- 
fore the war, and a playful bet existed between them, as to 
who would conquer, if ever they met at sea, in case of hosti- 
lities between their respective countries. Neither, however, 
as yet knew his antagonist. The two ships gradually ap- 
proached each other, when, at nine, A. m., the battle was 
begun. 

In consequence of the heavy swell, the firing proved nearly 
inoperative until the frigates approached nearer to each 
other. The gunnery of the United States was much superior 
to that of her enemy, and at the end of half an hour, the 
Macedonian's mizzen-topmast and gaff were shot away. The 
British ship now bore up for closer action. But the nearer 
she approached the United States, the more destructive be- 
came the fire of the latter. Decatur had exercised his crew 
incessantly at the guns, and the results of this were now 
made manifest in the accuracy and rapidity of the fire. The 
American frigate soon became 'so enveloped in smoke and 
flame, that the sailors of the Macedonian, believing her to be 
on fire, gave three cheers. They were answered by the crew 
of the United States, who dealt destruction and death on 
every hand. The scene now became terrific. The roar of 
guns, the crashing of spars, the whistling of shot, the shrieks 
of the wounded, and the shouts of the officers rose in awful 
discord. Decatur passed from gun to gun, directing and 
stimulating the men. " Take good aim at the mainmast," 
he said to one. " Hull her now, her rigging is sufficiently 
cut up," he exclaimed to another. The mizzen-mast of the 
Macedonian soon went by the board, and was followed by 
the fore and main topmasts. Her bowsprit was much in- 
jured ; the stump of her fore and mainmasts tottering. Eager 
to complete their conquest, the Americans did not intermit 
a moment. One poor fellow sank mortally wounded at a 
ffun : " K I live till she strikes," he cried, " I shall care for 



. STEPHEN DECATUfl. 275 

nothing." With wild huzzas the sailors cheered each other, 
as they saw spar after spar of the enemy give way. At last, 
with a desperate effort, the Macedonian endeavoured to run- 
afoul of her antagonist, in hopes to retrieve the day by board- 
ing, but, being foiled, she sullenly hauled down her flag. 

On taking possession of the prize, a melancholy scene pre- 
sented itself. Besides the injury to her rigging and spars, 
the Macedonian had received nearly one hundred shots in 
her hull, while every thing about her, from her boats down, 
was literally cut to pieces. Of her crew of three hundred, 
one hundred and four were killed or wounded. On board 
the United States the killed and wounded were but twelve. 
Of the killed on board the Macedonian, it is melancholy to 
reflect that two were Americans, who had been compelled 
to fight against their country. Five other Americans had 
been, in like manner, forced to serve at the guns of the Ma- 
cedonian, but escaped without injury. The decks of the 
captured frigate were slippery with blood ; while fragments 
of limbs lay about in every direction. The cries of the 
wounded, meantime, were agonizing beyond description. 
Every thing betokened the fatal aim of the crew of the 
United States ; as well as the difierence between men fight- 
ing from compulsion and those combating for country. The 
British seaman, frequently oppressed and always brutalized, 
was naturally destitute of the high-wrought enthusiasm of 
the American, who knew he was struggling against the tyrant 
of the ocean. This feeling, far more than the difference in 
the size of the two ships, caused the immense disparity be- 
tween the loss on board the United States and that on board 
the Macedonian. 

The boat which had boarded the British frigate, on her 
return conveyed Captain Garden to the United States. As 
Decatur advanced to receive him, they mutually recognised 
each other, and Garden, remembering their last interview, 
was covered with confusion. This would have been the 

19 



276 STEPHEN DECATUR. 

time for a meaner spirit to triumph over the fallen ; but, in 
Decatur's chivalrous soul, pity took the place of exultation. 
As Garden extended his sword, the American captain waived 
its acceptance, saying courteously : " Sir, I cannot receive the 
blade of a man who has so bravely defended his ship." The 
tears almost sprang to the eyes of the British officer at these 
words. Ignorant of the capture of the Guerriere, Garden be- 
lieved himself to be the first victim ; but such delicate con- 
sideration on the part of his conqueror materially alleviated 
his mortification. Nor did Decatur's tact stop here. He 
took the earliest occasion, in an indirect manner, to inform 
Garden of the fall of the Guerriere, so as to alleviate the self- 
reproach under which the British commander evidently suf- 
fered. He also ordered that the private property of the 
captured officers should not be interfered with. He himself 
paid Gaptain Garden eight hundred dollars for the latter's 
stores, and for the musical instruments of a fine band belong- 
ing to the Macedonian. That this commiseration for the 
fallen was heartfelt, is evident from a letter written, at this 
time, by Decatur to his wife. " One half of the satisfaction," 
he said, " arising from this victory is destroyed in seeing the 
mortification of poor Garden." Nor was the vanquished in- 
sensible to the kindness of the victor. On being exchanged. 
Garden addressed a letter to Decatur, in the name of his offi- 
cers and himself, thanking the American commander for his 
kindness, and promising, if ever the fortune of war should 
render them conquerors, to repay the debt. How grateful 
the task to record these chivalric courtesies. 

In half an hour after the action had terminated, the United 
States had been repaired, and was ready for another combat. 
It was a considerable time, however, before the Macedonian 
was fit for use. Decatur resolved to return immediately to 
the United States with his prize. He reached New London, 
on the 4 th of December, in the United States, and was soon 
after joined by the Macedonian. The news of the victory 



STEPHEN DECATUR. 277 

was received by the Americans with every emotion of delight. 
At New London an entertainment was given to Decatur and 
his officers. At Washington, when the messenger arrived 
with the despatches, the Secretary of the Navy was at a ball, 
whither the young officer followed him. No sooner was the 
intelligence known than the room shook with acclamations. 
At New York, to which Decatur soon removed his prize, a 
grand festival was offered to him in conjunction with Captains 
Hull and Jones. The crew of the United States were subse- 
quently welcomed with a fete at the City Hall. Congress 
hastened to bestow on Decatur a gold medal. The legisla- 
tures of New York and Massachusetts voted him their thanks. 
Virginia, Pennsylvania, and lastly his native city, Philadel- 
phia, each presented him with a sword. The corporation of 
New York gave him the freedom of the city in a gold box, 
and solicited him to sit for his portrait to adorn the City 
Hall. Honours flowed in on him from every quarter. 

The Macedonian and Hornet were now placed also under 
Decatur's command, and with his little squadron he made an 
attempt to get to sea by way of Sandy Hook. A strong 
blockading force, however, frustrated this design. He ac- 
cordingly retraced his steps, and, on the 24 th of May, 1813, 
proceeded along Long Island Sound, hoping to get to sea by 
the broader opening in that direction. But here also a su- 
perior British fleet stopped all egress. Decatur now put into 
New London, where he lay watching an opportunity to slip 
by the blockading fleet. On the 1st of June only a single 
line-of-battle ship being in sight, the American commander 
stood out with his little squadron to engage her ; but, before 
he arrived within gun-shot, three frigates hove in sight, and 
he returned disappointed to his anchorage. Subsequently he 
withdrew his vessels five miles higher up the river, and 
erected batteries on neighbouring heights, the better to defend 
them ; for the British had threatened that they would recap- 
ture the Macedonian, " even if they had," to use their own 



278 STEPHEN DECATUR. 

words, "to follow her into a corn-fielcl." Decatur remained 
inactive at this place for more than a year, during the whole 
of which period he was blockaded by an overwhelming force. 
In the interval he challenged an equal force of the British 
fleet to fight one or all the ships of his squadron ; but the 
enemy was not disposed to yield any advantage. At last, in 
April, 1814, all hope of his squadron getting to sea was 
abandoned; the United States and Macedonian were dis- 
mantled ; and, soon after, Decatur was appointed to the com- 
mand of the President, then lying at New York. As she was 
both a larger and finer frigate than the United States, he 
hastened to join her. 

During the autumn of 1814 the citizens of New York 
were alarmed by the rumour of an intended descent of the 
enemy on the town. Ever^ preparation was made to meet 
the foe. The command of the naval defences of every kind 
wathin the harbour was assigned to Decatur, who soon was 
at the head of a force numbering more than five thousand 
men. He trained the crew of the President to charge at full 
speed, in an unbroken line ; and this novel method of attack 
would probably have been highly effective in case of an in- 
vasion. But the British, after Macomb's victory at Pitts- 
burgh, abandoned all thoughts of the expedition against 
New York, even if they had ever entertained such. Decatur 
was now ordered to take the Peacock and Hornet, with two 
store-ships, and endeavour to get to sea, with orders, in case 
of success, to make for the East Indies, where it was believed 
he might be of as much injury to the British commerce as 
Porter had been in the Pacific. Accordingly, on the night 
of the 14th of January, 1815, he took advantage of a gale 
which had blown the enemy's squadron off the harbour," to 
sail from New York ; and, to increase the chances of success, 
he carried with him only the President and one of the store- 
ships, leaving directions for the remainder of the squadron 
to rendezvous at the island of Tristan da Cunha. 



STEPHEN DECATUR. 279 

In crossing the bar, however, in the dark, the President 
struck, by which she was much strained, and two valuable 
hours lost. It would have been advisable, after this acci- 
dent, to have returned to port, but the wind, which blew 
strongly, rendered this impossible. Accordingly, Decatur 
pursued his voyage, keeping close into the Long Island shore 
to escape notice, and making his way eastward as fast as 
possible. He had calculated that the British would hasten 
to return to their stations, and that, by morning, he should 
have run a sufficient distance to be out of sight. But the 
enemy, fortunately for them, had been less alert than he ex- 
pected, and when day broke were visible in close vicinity to 
the President. The British look-outs immediately detected 
the character of Decatur's frigate, and gave chase. Now be- " 
gan a most animated struggle. The immense disparity of 
force precluded all idea of a combat. Nothing remained for 
the President, therefore, but to endeavour to outsail her pur- 
suers. Decatur immediately put the helm to starboard, and 
hauled by the wind on the larboard tack, which brought her 
head to the northward, towards the east end of Long Island. 
He had now an enemy on each quarter, and two astern. 
Every stitch of canvas that would draw was set. But it 
was soon found that the injury received by the President 
had materially impaired her speed; and the noble frigate, 
which hitherto had never met her equal, was gradually over- 
hauled by the foe. Foremost among the pursuers was the 
Endymion, a frigate of equal force with Decatur's ship. She 
was already coming up, hand over hand, when, towards noon, 
the wind became light and baffling. This held out new 
hopes for the Americans. The sails of the President were 
now wet, from the royals down ; the water was started into 
the hold, and pumped out to lighten her ; anchors and boats 
were cut away ; the cables were cast overboard ; and finally 
even the spars and provisions were flung away. For three * 
hours longer the struggle continued without any decided ad- 



280 STEPHEN DECATUR. 

vantage to either side. But at the end of this period, a brisk 
breeze struck the Endymion, and she came down before it, 
the President being still nearly becalmed. By five o'clock 
the Endymion was close upon the starboard quarter of the 
American frigate, where she hung like a gnat. With inces- 
sant discharges from her larboard bow and bridle ports she 
cut up the sails of the President, while the Latter could not 
bring a gun to bear. The distance of the Endymion was less 
than a quarter of a mile, at which fearful proximity she kept 
up a well-aimed fire at the rigging, her intention obviously 
being to cripple her antagonist. 

In this emergency Decatur suddenly conceived a plan 
which, for boldness and romantic enterprise, has scarcely an 
equal in history. He resolved, when the Endymion should 
close upon his starboard quarter, to sheer suddenly on board 
of her, and leaping on her decks, at the head of his crew, 
carry her by assault. With the fastest ship in the British 
squadron for a prize, he could well afford, he calculated, to 
abandon the President. He called his men aft, and announced 
his intention. The proposal was received with cheers. 
Every thing was made ready for this chivalrous enterprise, 
and Decatur only awaited the Endymion's approach. But, 
as if divining the bold resolution of his antagonist, the Eng- 
lish captain pertinaciously refused to close. With a wariness 
that would have led to his being dismissed from thfe service 
three years before, he maintained a safe distance on the Presi- 
dent's quarter, every shot telling on the rigging of the latter. 
It was evidently his determination not to give battle on equal 
terms, but to cripple the President, and wait for aid before 
going in. At last, Decatur, irritated beyond all bounds, 
turned on his enemy like a lion baited in the ring. The 
Englishman fled. The American followed. The change in 
his course made Decatur head towards the south, and thus he 
had to abandon all hopes of getting into the Sound, around 
the eastern end of Long Island ; but, to counterbalance this, 



STEPHEN DECATUR. 283 

/ 

he trusted to be^able to beat the Endymion out of action be- 
fore the other pursuing ships should come up, and, in the 
approaching darkness, to make good his escape. 

Every person on board, down to the smallest powder-boy, 
shared Decatur's exasperation when he turned upon the Eng- 
lishman; and consequently, in the combat that succeeded, 
the Americans fought with the utmost fierceness and despe- 
ration. Ranging up alongside of her foe, the President de- 
livered broadside after broadside, in unintermitting succession. 
As the night closed in, the scene became terrible. The space 
between the two ships was covered with smoke, that, lit 
incessantly by the flashes of the guns, wore an unearthly as- 
pect. Cheer upon cheer rose from the decks of the President, 
as sail after sail was cut away from the yards of the Endy- 
mion, and she began to drop perceptibly astern. Decatur 
was everywhere stimulating the men by his words and by 
.his presence. Though wounded severely in the chest by a 
splmter, he still kept his post, insensible, for the time, to 
pain, or to the weariness which was the result of the un- 
ceasing watchfulness of the last thirty-six hours. His officers 
behaved with equal heroism. Lieutenant Twiggs, who, in 
after years, fell heroically at Chapultepec, commanded the 
marines on this eventful night, and, with his men, discharged 
no less than five thousand cartridges. Distinguished among 
the younger men was Lieutenant Hamilton, the son of the 
Secretary of the Navy, remarkable for beauty of person, 
hilarity of temper, and unflinching courage. "Carry on, 
boys, carry on !" he shouted continually. Suddenly, while 
uttering this exclamation, a grape-shot struck his heart, and 
he fell a corpse on the deck. Lieutenant Howell, in like 
manner cheering his division at the close of the action, had 
just cried, " We have whipped that ship, at any rate," when 
a shot, the last the Endymion fired, crashed in his brain, and 
he too died instantaneously. 

Before nine o'clock the British frigate was almost a wreck. 



284 STEPHEN DECATUR. 

Decatur now changed his course again, heading east by north, 
under a press of canvas from royal studding sails down. 
The President, however, was considerably crij)pled in her 
rigging, so that her speed was much less than it had been 
during the chase. But, as the sky began to cloud over, the 
Americans cherished high hopes of escape. The British fleet 
was still in sight, however, and, having noticed the change 
in the President's course, immediately renewed the pursuit. 
For nearly two hours Decatur flattered himself, nevertheless, 
that he should drop his enemies in the darkness ; but towards 
eleven o'clock the clouds blew over, leaving a bright star- 
light, by which the foremost of the British squadron was 
detected close at hand. The evil star of Decatur was, for 
once, in the ascendant ! He still, however, heroically held 
out. But the Pomone frigate, ranging up, delivered her 
broadside, while the Tenedos, Majestic, and Despatch were 
rapidly approaching. At last he struck his flag, unwilling 
to sacrifice life in what was now an utterly hopeless endea- 
vour. Perhaps, in modern naval history, there is no second 
instance of a combat so unequal, maintained so gallantly and 
so long. The victories of others have frequently been less 
glorious than this defeat of Decatur's. He sustained the des- 
perate struggle for twenty-four hours^ nor did he yield at last 
while a single chance remained. Even his enemies acknow- 
ledged this : '• he was completely mobbed," said the British 
admiral commanding on the station. When Decatur repaired 
on board the. Majestic to deliver his sword to Captain Hayes, 
the senior officer of the squadron, that gentleman imitated 
the courtesy of his prisoner on a former occasion, and restored 
the blade immediately, saying that " he felt proud in return- 
ing the sword of an officer who had defended his ship so 
nobly." Decatur was carried to Bermuda, where every at- 
tention was paid him, and the earliest opportunity was taken 
to forward him to New London on his parole. His arrival 
in the United States was marked by as much enthusiasm a? 



STEPHEN DECATUR. 285 

if he had returned from a victory. The public sentiment 
was universally that he had gained honour, though he had 
lost his ship. When he landed, the crowd took the horses 
from his carriage, and dragged him, cheering, to his hotel. 
These unexpected demonstrations drew teaTs from Decatur's 
eyes. But the most delicate compliment he received was 
from the ship-carpenters of New York, who volunteered six- 
teen hundred days' work, towards constructing him a frigate 
to .take the place of the President. 

Before Decatur returned from Bermuda, peace had been 
proclaimed ; but the government soon found occasion for his 
services. Though the regulations of the service required 
that every captain who lost a ship should be made the sub- 
ject of a court of inquiry, and though this court had not yet 
been held on Decatur, the department tendered him, with 
the highest expressions of esteem, the command of a squad- 
ron destined to proceed to the Mediterranean, for the purpose 
of punishing the Dey of Algiers, who, during the war with 
England, had begun hostilities against the United States. 
Before he was ready to sail, the court of inquiry met. The 
verdict of this body, as had been expected, not only exone- 
rated Decatur from censure, but bore testimony to his ability 
and courage, as well as to the gallantry of the crew. The 
squadron destined for the Mediterranean sailed from New 
York on the 20th of May, 1815, and consisted of. the frigates 
Guerriere, Macedonian, and Constellation, the sloop Ontario, 
four brigs, and two schooners, the Guerriere being the flag- 
ship. As a second squadron, to be commanded by Bain- 
bridge, was expected to follow, Decatur, with a natural emu- 
lation, was anxious to force the Algerines into a peace before 
its arrival, and fortune, as if to make amends for his late dis- 
aster, seconded his wish. On the 15th of June he arrived at 
Gibraltar. Two days after he fell in with an Algerine 
frigate, commanded by the Admiral Rais Hammida, who, 
after an heroic resistance, in which he received a mortal wound, 



286 STEPHEN DECATUR. 

surrendered. On tlie 19th, he captured a brig mounting 
twenty-two guns. On the 28th he anchored at Algiers. He 
immediately informed the dey of the death of the admiral, 
and added that, unless a treaty such as he should dictate was 
signed, he would attack the batteries and burn the ships. 
The dey, at first, hesitated to treat at all. He then de- 
manded certain concessions, and, among others, that Decatur 
should come ashore to treat. But the American commander 
was inexorable. He allowed the dey only a short interval 
to decide, and informed him that if, in the mean time, any 
Algerine ships appeared off the harbour, he should capture 
them. One actually made its appearance while the dey still 
hesitated, and endeavoured to crowd past the squadron and 
run ashore, on which Decatur, attiring himself in full uni- 
form, called his crew aft, and announced his intention of 
boarding her even under the batteries themselves. At this 
critical moment, the boat of the Algerine commissioner was 
seen making from the shore, with the white flag displayed, 
the signal that the treaty had been signed. By this docu- 
ment the dey renounced all claim on the United States for 
tribute, and restored to liberty his American captives. Thus, 
within forty-one days from the time he left port, Decatur 
successfully achieved the object of his expedition. He was 
the first man to win for any civilized nation exemption from 
tribute to the Barbary powers, an example which Lord Ex- 
mouth speedily followed, and subsequently others, until this 
abominable slavery was destroyed. 

After concluding the treaty with Algiers, Decatur sailed 
for Tunis, and then for Tripoli, from both which powers 
he demanded and received indemnities, for insults perpe- 
trated on the flag of the United States during the war with 
England. These aggressions, in every case, were traced to the 
instigation of Great Britain, which had assured the Barbary 
powers that the American ships would be entirely swept from 
the ocean. When, therefore, Decatur made his appearance, 



STEPHEN DECATUR. 287 

with a squadron containing no less than two frigates cap- 
tured from the English, a general dismay seized the Turks. 
The recollection of his exploits, ten years before, was also 
called to mind. The Dey of Tunis, when he heard Decatur's 
nanle, yielded, exclaiming, " I know that admiral !" The 
Bashaw of Tripoli, equally alarmed at his visitor's character, 
submitted almost without a demur to what was demanded 
of Him. In short, by the 9th of August, Decatur had com- 
pleted all his arrangements with the Barbary powers, and 
departed for Syracuse, carrying with him several Sicilian cap- 
tives whom he had rescued, by a chivalrous impulse, from 
bondage. He subsequently visited Messina and Naples, 
where the fame of his late exploits having preceded him, he 
was received by the king with much ostentation, and every- 
where attended by the plaudits of the people. Soon after, 
hearing of the arrival of Bainbridge in the Mediterranean, he 
joined that officer at Gibraltar. On the 7th of October, 
having resigned the remainder of his squadron into the hands 
of his superior, he sailed for America in the Guerriere, ac- 
companied by the brig Enterprise; and on the 12th of No- 
vember anchored at New York, having been absent from 
that port less than six months. Yet, in that short period, 
how brilliant the career he had run ! 

This was- Decatur's last command at sea. A vacancy oc- 
curring in the Board of Navy Commissioners about the period 
of his return from Algiers, the Secretary of the Navy offered 
him the post, which he accepted. Early in January, 1816, 
he arrived at Washington, his progress thither, through the 
various cities, having witnessed a succession of triumphal 
processions. At Norfolk, in the succeeding April, at a pub- 
lic entertainment, he gave his memorable toast: — "Our 
country, may she always be right ; but our country, right or 
wrong." In September, 1817, he received a substantial testi- 
monial of the esteem of his countrymen, by the presentation, 
on the part of the citizens of Baltimore, of a complete dinner 



288 - STEPHEJf DECATUR. 

service of silver. In February, 1818, a similar gift was ten- 
dered him from his native town, Philadelphia. The receipt 
of such testimonials, and of others equally gratifying though 
less costly, rendered the life of Decatur, for the five years 
succeeding his return from Algiers, one of the most enviS-ble 
in history. Adored by his countrymen, honoured by the ad- 
ministration, popular with nearly every member of his pro- 
fession, he seemed in the possession of every thing which 
could make life happy, or render long years desirable. A 
vigorous constitution promised a hale old age. But, alas ! 
how vain are human calculations ! how fleeting the most pro- 
mising appearances ! While in the enjoyment of all this 
applause, at the very summit of human felicity as it were, 
the arrow of death, already fitted to the string, was soon to 
quiver in his bosom. The circumstances which led to his 
premature decease are of the most melancholy character, and 
such as to cloud in a measure, we speak it with regret, an 
otherwise noble character. He fell in a duel with a brother 
officer, which, if not exactly invited by himself, might easily 
have been avoided by the exercise of prudence, not to say 
forbearance, on his part. The unpopularity of his adversary, 
combined with the adoration in which Decatur was held, 
produced, at the time, a general expression of censure against 
his antagonist; but now that the prejudices of the day are 
over, and the combatants both lie in their graves, it would 
be unpardonable, if not criminal, in the annahst to disguise 
the truth. 

The commander of the Chesapeake, at the time she was 
fired into by the Leopard in 1808, was Commodore James 
Barron, who, for his conduct on that occasion, had been 
suspended from the navy for five years. Unable to sup- 
port his family suitably while thus deprived of his emolu-- 
ments, he went abroad and entered the merchant service. 
The period of his suspension expired during the war, but, in- 
stead of returning to the United States and seeking employ- 



STEPHEN DECATUR. 289 

ment in order to wipe off the stain on his name, he contented 
himself with writing a letter to the Secretary of the Navy, 
in which he tendered his services to his country. This epis- 
tle was not answered, and Barron remained abroad. At last, 
his friends urging on him the propriety of his return, he be- 
gan seriously to make preparations for the purpose. The 
want of funds, however, prevented his executing his design, 
until the war had been terminated. He then appeared in 
the United States, and sought to be reinstated in his old rank. 
Decatur, who had viewed his conduct in the affair of the 
Chesapeake with particular dissatisfaction, now freely ex- 
pressed his opinion that it would be unjust to Barron's 
juniors to reinstate him in the navy. There can be no 
doubt that Decatur, who sincerely entertained these opinions, 
had a right to express them ; but it would have been more 
generous to have maintained silence, especially when the 
sentiments of the speaker carried such weight. This error 
on Decatur's side, if it was one, arose from his high and 
daring nature, which could not brook even the semblance of 
cowardice. It would have been more prudent and equally 
honourable for Decatur to have asked for a court of inquiry 
on Barron, and thus decided this unpleasant question. Many 
things, which popular opinion asserted of Barron, would then 
have been found to be untrue ; and Decatur, in that event, 
would have been the first to acknowledge his mistake. Such 
a court was held after Decatur's death, and Barron's conduct 
found not to be as censurable as supposed, although still so 
much so as to induce a verdict unfavourable to his claims. 

Wearied by long years of suffering, which he considered 
more than an expiation for his fault, Barron had hoped that 
his application would meet with no objections, at least on 
the part of his brother officers. Finding Decatur so piDmi- 
nent in opposing his reinstatement, he naturally concluded 
that the difficulties arose from that officer. Pretended friends 
were not wanting to repeat to Barron exaggerated statements 



290 STEPHEN" DECATUR. 

of Decatur's remarks. In the end, a bitter enmity awoke in 
Barron's bosom towards his more fortunate contemporary ; and 
he determined to seek redress in the method prescribed by 
the laws of honour. On the 12th of June, 1819, he wrote to 
Decatur, saying : " I have been informed you have said, you 
could insult me with impunity," and expressing a desire to 
have an avowal or contradiction of the offensive expression. 
Decatur immediately replied, declaring he had never used 
the phrase attributed to him, but intimating plainly that he 
had canvassed his correspondent's character with great free- 
dom. Two other letters were exchanged, and then the affair 
was dropped. But Decatur, during the summer, having sent 
the letters which had passed between him and Barron to 
Norfolk, the latter, imagining this was done to blacken his 
character, wrote to Decatur on the 23d of October following. 
In this somewhat singular epistle, Barron contended that 
Decatur, by giving their correspondence publicity, had invited 
him to the arbitrament of the pistol, — a most unwarrantable 
assumption, but one which Decatur, with his scornful courage, 
was not likely to deny. He accordingly, in his answer, after 
stating at length his reasons for opposing Barron's application 
for employment, implied that he would, if formal^ called on, 
meet his correspondent. Several letters followed on both 
sides. Those of Barron were of a character to irritate, to 
the last degree, a man of Decatur's temperament; while 
those of the latter were haughty and contemptuous. Had 
this correspondence been in the hands of judicious friends, 
the melancholy result might have been avoided; for, not- 
withstanding their increasing acerbity, neither, to the last, 
desired a duel. A challenge, or what Decatur considered so, 
was received by the latter on the 24th of January, 1820; 
and the preliminaries were finally arranged for a meeting, 
to take place on the 22d of March ensuing. 

Decatur, though the challenged party, waived every ad- 



STEPHEN DECATUR. 291 

vantage ; and, as Barron was short-sighted, the distance was 
nxed at eight paces. Commodore Bainbridge officiated as 
Decatur's second, while Commodore Elliot appeared in behalf 
of Barron. When the parties had taken their places, and just 
before the word was given, Barron remarked to his antago- 
nist, " I hope, on meeting in another world, we will be better 
friends." Decatur merely replied, " I have never been your 
enemy, sir !'^ There must have been something in the tone 
in which these words were exchanged, at variance with their 
amicable character, else those present were unpardonable in 
not taking advantage of them to adjust the difficulty. But 
perhaps it was thought necessary, since the quarrel had pro- 
ceeded so far, that shots should be exchanged. Fatal mis- 
take ! Bainbridge accordingly proceeded to give the word, 
which, though generally afflicted with stuttering, he did 
clearly and distinctly under the excitement. The combat- 
ants were to fire between the words "one" and "three." 
At the word " two," both pistols went off simultaneously. 
The ball of Decatur penetrated his adversary's thigh, where, 
before the meeting, he had signified his determination to hit 
Barron. The ball of the latter struck Decatur in the abdo- 
men. Both antagonists fell nearly at the same instant. 
Decatur's first words were, " I am mortally wounded, at least 
I believe so, and msh I had fallen in defence of my country." 
Barron thought himself dying also, and remarked that he 
"forgave his enemy from the bottom of his heart." This 
impression proved a mistaken, one ; he survived his wound 
-for many years ; but his antagonist, less fortunate, died the 
same evening, in excruciating agony. 

The death of Decatur filled the nation with mourning. In 
consequence of the manner in which he had fallen. Congress 
could not officially attend his obsequies, but both Houses 
evaded this, and adjourned, in order that the members might 
follow him to his grave. A vast concourse of strangers, and 

20 



292 • STEPHEN DECATUR. 

all the seamen and officers in the neighbourhood, together 
with the president, his cabinet, the foreign ministers, and 
judges of the Supreme Court, joined the melancholy proces- 
sion. Minute guns, during the ceremony, were fired from 
the navy yard. The remains were interred in a beautiful 
grove on the summit of an eminence near Washington, 
where Joel Barlow had constructed a retreat, and where 
Colonel Bomford, the owner of the grounds, had prepared a 
vault. In this secluded and lovely retreat, they continued 
for twenty-five years, when, in compliance with Decatur's 
wish, that, in death, he should prefer to sleep by the side of 
his parents, in St. Peter's church-yard, Philadelphia, the 
venerated relics were disinterred, and now repose close by 
those of the authors of his being. 

Decatur was not merely a brave man, he was also a saga- 
cious one. His most daring acts, reckless as they frequently 
appeared, were frequently based on the shrewdest calculations. 
Of books he knew little, but of men much. No man could 
teach him any thing in regard to his profession. His insight 
into character was almost miraculous. He possessed, in its 
highest perfection, that attribute of great commanders, which 
enables them to secure the personal devotion of their follow- 
ers. His civil talents were respectable at all times ; and in 
some instances even superior. His temper was naturally 
violent, but he had learned to discipline it. He had little 
love for display. His manner was calm, high-toned, and dig- 
nified, altogether free from that extravagance so frequently 
accompanying chivalric natures. In his ordinary moments he 
was prudent and sagacious ; it was only when excited by ac- 
tion that he became impetuous. His bravery has never been 
excelled, and but rarely equalled. If ever there was a hero, 
he was one. 

The personal appearance of Decatur was distinguished. 
His figure was above the middle height, and generally well 



STEPHEN DECATUR. 



293 




THE CORPSE OF DECATUR BORNE THROUGH PHILABELPHIA. 



knit. His face, without being strikingly handsome, was full 
of character, and remarkable for an eye so dark and keen, 
that, in moments of excitement, it seemed actually to blaze. 
The erectness of his figure and the towering appearance of 
his head gave him a spirited and noble air, and, combined 
with his easy movements, rendered him alike stately and 
graceful. His hair and beard were black and curling ; his 
nose slightly aquiline ; and his moiith small. The general 
aspect of his countenance was mild and pleasing; but in the 
heat of action, terrible. 

In 1846 the remains of Decatur, in compliance with his 
own wish, and at the additional request of the vestry of St. 
Peter's church, were disinterred, and conveyed to Philadel- 
phia. They landed at the navy yard, where they were re- 
ceived by detachments * of the military, and subsequently 
conveyed iji solemn procession to their final resting-place. 
The muffled sound of bells, the melancholy boom of minute- 



294 ■ STEPHEN DECATUR. 

guns, and the wail of the dead-march, conspiring with the 
sight of the coffin, the pall borne by his old companions in 
rank, agitated the spectators with emotions of mingled regret 
and pride. Close after the remains followed a small body 
of sailors, veterans who had served under Decatur, bearing 
his old national flag, while tears rolled down their bronzed 
cheeks. Those who remember that scene can never forget 
it. It was Decatur's last welcome to his native city ! 



)-^ 




JOHN TEMPLAR SHUBEICK. 



Born of a family honourably distinguished in the revolu- 
tionary annals of South Carolina, and the elder of four bro- 
thers, all of whom served their country with distinction in 
the navy. John Templar Shubrick deserves to be remem- 
bered, as v*ell ill consequence of his name as on account of 
his valuable services and untimely death. 

Shubrick was the son of Colonel Thomas Shubrick, who 
served with Greene in the South, and was present, in the 
capacity of aid to the American commander, at the battle of 
Eutaw. The future hero was born on Bull's Island, South 
Carolina, on the 12th of September, 1788. It was the in- 
tention of his parents, to educate him for the bar ; and, to 
that end, in his sixteenth year, he was placed in the office 
of his kmsman. Colonel Drayton, of Charleston. His incli- 
nations, however, were in favour of the naval service, and, 
after having studied law for two years, he prevailed on his 
father to gratify his wishes. Accordingly Colonel Shubrick 

appUed to the department for a midshipman's warrant in 

297 



298 JOHN TEMPLAR SHUBRICK. 

favour of his son, which was granted, under date of June 
20th, 1806. 

The first ship in which the young officer sailed was the 
Chesapeake thirty-six, bearing the broad pennant of Commo- 
dore James Barron, destined for the Mediterranean. This 
frigate had scarcely left the American waters, when the 
British ship Leopard, in pursuit of some deserters said to be 
on board the Chesapeake, attacked the latter, fired into her, 
and compelled her to haul down her flag. This disgraceful 
affair was the introduction of the young midshipman to his 
profession. With the rest of the officers, Shubrick keenly 
felt the humiliation of the incident, although no blame 
could attach to any person except the commodore, and 
even he was the victim of circumstances, rather than of 
treachery or cowardice. The only gun fired on the occa- 
sion was discharged from the division to which Shubrick 
belonged. 

When the Chesapeake, after this unfortunate occurrence, 
was transferred to Decatur, Shubrick remained in her. To- 
wards the close of 1808, however, he was removed to the 
Argus, a brig of sixteen guns. In this vessel he remained 
until 1810, cruising with her on the coast. He was now 
ordered to join the United States forty-four, just fitted out to 
carry Decatur's broad pennant. In a few months, however, 
he was compelled to leave this fine ship, and deprive himself 
of the valuable supervision of Decatur, in consequence of a 
misunderstanding with a fellow-officer, which led Shubrick 
to send a challenge. Decatur, hearing of the quarrel, sent 
for both gentlemen, and demanded a pledge from each not to 
fight. This, Shubrick, as the challenger, declined to give, 
on which Decatur, to maintain his discipline, felt compelled 
to order the offender to quit the ship. That he might soften 
the punishment, however, as much as possible, — for the com- 
modore, of all men, was tolerant on points of honour, — he gave 
Shubrick an acting appointment as lieutenant on board the 



JOHN TEMPLAR SHUBRICK. 299 

Viper, a small vessel attached to the squadron. He con- 
tinued in her until 1811, when he was transferred to the 
Siren sixteen; and in this brig he soon rose to be acting 
first lieutenant. 

Early in 1812, Shubrick received a commission from the 
department as lieutenant, and was immediately ordered to 
join the Constitution, Captain Hull, then lying in the Poto- 
mac. War was declared soon after. The Constitution 
sailed on her memorable cruise on the 12th of July, Shubrick 
being her fifth lieutenant. In her endeavours to escape 
from the English squadron, he bore his full share of the 
labour, and when relieved, he threw himself on the deck, 
without undressing, to catch » short repose before renewing 
his exertions. In the action with the Guerriere, Shubrick 
commanded the quarter-deck guns, and was in the midst of 
the active scene that occurred in that portion of that ship, 
when the American frigate got a stemboard and came foul 
of her antagonist. He escaped without a wound, though so 
much exposed. 

When Hull gave up the Constitution, and Bainbridge 
assumed her command, Shubrick remained in the ship, and 
thus had the good fortune to participate also in the capture 
of the Java. In this action he was stationed on the gun- 
deck, and again escaped without a wound. He had now 
been engaged in every principal naval event which was then 
known to have occurred since the war with Tripoli. He 
had been in the Chesapeake when the Leopard captured her; 
in the celebrated chase of the Constitution ; and i'n the two 
victories of the latter over Britisli frigates. His good for- 
tune began to be proverbial. It was said that his luck would 
give any ship, on board of which he might happen to serve, 
a chance of a fight. Accordingly, when Lieutenant Ballard 
of the Hornet expressed a wish to exchange into the Consti- 
tution, in the hope that she might meet a third British 
frigate, Captain Lawrence of the former ship used all hh 



300 JOHN TE3IPLAR SHUBRICK. 

influence to induce Shubrick to take his place, hoping that 
the young officer would bring his good fortune with him. 
The exchange was effected, and the result seemed to verify 
the superstition ;* for soon after, the Hornet met and captured 
the Peacock, in a contest that scarcely lasted fifteen minutes. 
In this engagement Shubrick acted as the Hornet's first 
heutenant. 

Shubrick remained in the Hornet until she was chased into 
New London, when, finding there was little chance of her 
gettmg to sea, he sought to be transferred to the United 
States, and succeeded. In this vessel he remained until he 
followed her commander, Decatur, into the President forty- 
four. He served on board this frigate as second lieutenant, 
until the fall of her first, during her chase and capture by 
the British fleet blockading New York, January the 15th, 
1815. In this engagement Shubrick, as usual, escaped un- 
hurt, though three of his brother lieutenants were killed, and 
the commodore himself wounded. Peace soon released the 
prisoners, who had been carried to Bermuda. Shubrick was 
now appointed first lieutenant of the Guerriere forty-four, 
about to sail, under Decatur, to Algiers. The events of that 
memorable cruise have already been detailed in their proper 
place. Another instance of Shubrick's good fortune hap- 
pened during the engagement with the Algerine admiral, for 
a gun bursting on board the Guerriere, he escaped unhurt, 
though a fragment of the breech passed through his hat. 

But alas ! this continued success was now to be darkened, 
and for ever. Some changes having occurred in the squad- 
ron, by which the Epervier eighteen became without a 
commander, Decatur appointed his favourite lieutenant to 
her, and ordered him to sail immediately for the United 
States, with a copy of the treaty just completed with Algiers. 
On board this vessel, as passengers, were Captain Lewis, late 
of the Guerriere, and Lieutenant Benedict J. Neale, both of 
whom, having married just before the squadron sailed, were 



JOHN TEMPLAR SHUBRICK. 301 

now returning on leave to their young brides. Lieutenant 
Yamall, who had been Perry's first, in the bloody conflict of 
Lake Erie, was also one of the company. Shubrick himself 
was going home to a young wife, whom he had married 
towards the close of the war with Great Britain. The last 
that was ever known of these gallant spirits was when they 
passed Gibraltar on the 10th of July, 1815. The Epervier 
was never seen after that day, foundering in a hurricane^ it 
is supposed, which swept the Atlantic soon after. 

Thus perished, full of glory, John Templar Shubrick. 




WABHINa THE DECK. 



WILLIAM 0. BAmBKIDGE. 



The subject of our present sketch was an instance of the 
triumph of true merit over all the adversities of life. No 
officer in the navy, perhaps, was as unfortunate as Bain- 
bridge, yet few stood, from first to last, higher in public esti- 
mation. For the first twenty years he served his country, 
disasters continually gathered around him; yet the confi- 
dence of both government and people in his skill and courage 
remained unimpaired ; and when finally fortune smiled upon 
him, and he captured the British frigate Java, his fellow- 
citizens, sympathizing with his former disappointments, 
hailed his success as if they had themselves a direct per- 
sonal interest in it. 

William 0. Bainbridge was the fourth son of Doctor Bain- 
bridge, a gentleman of good family and excellent social 
302 



WILLIAM 0. BAIXBRIDGE. 305 

standing, who, at the period of the future commodore's birth, 
May the 7th, 1774, resided in the town of Princeton, New 
Jersey. Soon after this event, the father removed to the 
city of New York, where the education of the child was 
intrusted to its maternal grandfather, a Mr. Taylor, a person 
of large estate, residing in Monmouth county. New Jersey. 
Young Bainbridge, as he grew up, displayed a taste for the 
sea, like most others subsequently distinguished in the Ameri- 
can navy. Of a bold and adventurous disposition, he could 
not content himself on land, and showed the most invincible 
repugnance for the professional pursuits for which it was at 
first intended to educate him. His athletic and manly frame 
peculiarly fitted him for the avocation of a sailor ; and, in 
the end, his importunities prevailed over the well-meant but 
mistaken wishes of his friends. It is unfortunately a too 
common error of parents to force a son into a pursuit displeas- 
ing to him. Rarely, in such cases, does the youth fulfil his 
destiny, but toils on, an unwilling slave, to the close of his 
days. For every man Nature has provided some peculiar 
walk, in which he will labour with pleasure, if not with dis- 
tinction; and if the inclinations of the young were more 
generally consulted, their appropriate .avocations would more 
universally fall to their lot. 

Bainbridge was but fifteen when he obtained the consent 
of his friends to choose the sea as his pro^ssion. After two 
preliminary voyages, in which he learned the rudiments of 
his pursuit, the influence of his friends, combined with his 
own merits, obtained for him the rank of a chief mate. He 
was now eighteen. The ship sailed for Holland, and during 
the voyage, Bainbridge, by his own personal intrepidity, 
recovered her from the hands of mutineers. In reward for 
his conduct on this occasion, the o^\Tiers, on her next voyage, 
gave him the command of their vessel. He now rose rapidly. 
He soon found himself master of the Hope, a fine ship, carry- 
ing four nines, most merchantmen of that day being armed. 



306 WILLIAM 0. BAINBRIDGE. 

Durina: a vova^e in this vessel to the West Indies, Bainbridj^e 
was attacked by a British privateer, mounting eight guns, 
and having three men to his one. In vain he hoisted Ameri- 
can colours ; the privateer, choosing to disbelieve his character, 
poured in a broadside. Bainbridge, regardless of the dis- 
parity of force, returned the fire immediately. Broadside 
after broadside was now exchanged, until, in the ,end, the 
superior rapidity and accuracy of the American fire com- 
pelled the English vessel to strike. The privateer was much 
injured, and had several men killed ; while the Hope received 
but little damage. As no war existed at that time between 
the United States and Great Britain, it would have been 
illegal for Bainbridge to keep his prize ; so, hailing the priva- 
teer, he told her commander to return to his employers, and 
inform them, that, if they wished to capture the Hope, they 
must send a stronger force after her. 

On a succeeding voyage, the ship of Bainbridge was boarded 
by an officer from the British frigate Indefatigable, Captain 
Sir Edward Pellew, who endeavoured to impress the mate, 
a Mr. McKinsey, alleging that, as the name was Scotch, the 
man could not have been born in America. McKinsey, who 
had been born in Philadelphia, armed himself, on a hint from 
Bainbridge, and refused to obey. Some altercation ensued, 
when the British officer, seizing a foremast hand, carried him 
ofi", notwithstanding the expostulations of Bainbridge, and 
the production of evidence to prove the man an American. 
As a last resort, Bainbridge threatened, in case the sailor was 
impressed, to take a British seaman out of the first British 
vessel of equal force that he should meet. The officer, 
regarding this as an idle threat, laughed contemptuously, and 
pulled back to his frigate, carrying the man with him. But 
Bainbridge was as good as his word. In less than a week he 
fell in with an English merchantman, which he boarded, and 
impressed from her decks a foremast hand, to supply the 
place of the one he had lost. This spirited act, when it 



WILLIAM 0. BAIKBRIDGE. 307 

became known, met the applause of the entire country. Had 
there been more such men in our mercantile marine at that 
period, the aggressions of England would have been stopped, 
or a war brought on between her and the United States ; in 
either which case, the degrading system of impressing Ame- 
rican-born seamen into her men-of-war would have been 
checked fifteen years sooner than it was. 

When hostilities began with France in 1798, and Congress 
determined to found a national marine, it became necessary 
to seek for the officers in the merchant service, there being 
then no other source from which to draw them; for even 
those w^ho had served in the war of independence had since 
been compelled to earn their hvelihood as masters of trading 
vessels. The courage which Bainbridge had shown in the 
two affairs we have narrated had won for him such a repu- 
tation, that, when he applied for a commission, his request 
was almost immediately granted. A French privateer, 
mounting fourteen guns, having been just captured by the 
elder Decatur, was now equipped for a cruiser, under the 
significant name of the Retaliation ; and to this vessel Bain- 
bridge was appointed, with the rank of lieutenant-command- 
ant, a grade long since abolished. But the career of the 
young officer in this ship was short. On his very first voy- 
age in her he was captured, the first American officer to suffer 
this indignity, as the Retaliation was the first national vessel 
to strike her colours to a foe. The circumstances, however, 
were such as to exonerate Bainbridge from all censure. 

The Retaliation had sailed for the West Indies in Septem- 
ber, 1798. In the following November, while cruising off 
Guadaloupe, in company mth the Montezuma sloop-of-war. 
Captain Murray, and the brig Norfolk, three sail were made 
in the eastern seaboard, and immediately after two more in 
the western. The Montezuma and her consort gave chase to 
the latter. Captain Murray ordering Bainbridge to pursue the 
former. The American vessels promptly parted, on opposite 

21 



308 WILLIAM 0. BAIXBRIDGE. 

tacks. Bainbridge, on approaching the three sail, discovered 
two of them to be French men-of-war, and was captured, after 
a smart chase, by one of these, L'Insurgente, the fastest ship 
that then floated. The French frigates immediately gave 
chase to the Montezuma and her consort, L'Insurgente lead- 
ing the way. Fortunately Bainbridge had been carried on 
board the other frigate, which proved to be commanded by 
the senior officer of the squadron. This gentleman, finding 
that he could not keep up with L'Insurgente, began to fear 
that the two American ships would prove too strong for her 
single-handed; and, to reassure himself, asked Bainbridge 
their force. Eager to preserve his friends from capture, Bain- 
bridge gravely replied that the ship was a twenty-eight, and 
the brig a twenty. At this mformation, which doubled the 
real force of the Americans, the French captain hoisted a 
signal of recall to L'Insurgente. On discovering the trick, 
the enemy were, at first, much exasperated ; but, after a little 
reflection, they admitted that Bainbridge had only employed 
an artifice allowable in war. Thus, his misfortune was not 
without its compensations, for, though he lost his OAvn shi]3, 
he saved two others. 

Bainbridge, after a captivity of some weeks, was allowed 
to return home in the Retaliation, which was sent to the 
United States as a cartel. So far from falling in the estima- 
tion of the government by the loss of his vessel, his address 
had raised him higher than ever in favour ; and he was now 
made a master-commandant, and appointed to the Norfolk 
eighteen, the brig which he had preserved from L'Insurgente. 
He now returned to the West Indies, where he joined the 
squadron of Commodore Truxtun. Having been despatched 
from St. Kitts, to convoy a fleet of merchantmen home, he 
executed his task without the loss of a single vessel, though 
he had no less than one hundred and nineteen under his 
charge. During the voyage, the fleet fell in with an enemy's 
frigate, when Bainbridge, hoisting the signal to disperse, led 



WILLIAM 0. BAINBRIDGE. 309 

the French man-of-war away in a fruitless chase of himself, 
until night, when he gave his pursuer the slip. The next 
day the brig overtook and collected her convoy, which she 
conducted to port without further interruption. It was 
August, 1799, when the Norfolk, having executed this duty, 
cast anchor in the port of New York. 

On his return to the West Indies, Bainbridge was placed 
under the orders of Captain Christopher R. Perry, the father 
of the hero of Lake Erie. He contmued cruising in the 
tropics for several months, though with but little success. 
Towards the close of the year he received an order from the 
Navy Department to go off the neutral port of Havana, in 
order to protect our own trade, and annoy that of the French. 
Here he found himself the senior officer of a little squadron, 
composed of his own ship, and the Warren eighteen, and the 
Pinckney eighteen. In March, 1800, his cruise being up, 
he returned to Philadelphia, anchoring there early in April. 
The next month he was raised to the rank of captain, chiefly, 
it is said, in requital for his services off Havana. Thus, 
before he had quite reached the age of twenty-six, and when 
he had scarcely been two years in the navy, he attained its 
highest grade-; and, with it, had won the reputation of being 
one of the most skilful, energetic, and patriotic officers belong- 
ing to the infant service. 

The United States had not, at this period, repudiated the 
disgraceful practice of paying tribute to the Barbary powers ; 
and the George Washington, twenty-eight, was now fitting out 
for Algiers, laden with stores for the dey of that town, pre- 
sented to him by our government. To this ship Bainbridge 
was appointed. It was September, 1800, before he reached 
the port of his destination, having been the first officer in the 
service to display our national flag in the Mediterranean. 
For the purpose of landing his cargo with facility, Bainbridge 
ran into the mole. Scarcely, however, had he removed the 
stores from his vessel, when the dey, who had occasion to 



SIO WILLIAM 0. BAINBRIDGE. . 

send tribute in turn to Constantinople, expressed his intention 
of employing the George Washington for that purpose. At 
first Bainbridge, whose high spirit revolted at tjie task, re- 
fused, but the dey reminding the American that the vessel 
lay under the guns of his batteries, Bainbridge was forced to 
comply. Much unmerited censure has been cast on Bain- 
bridge for his conduct on this occasion. But, situated as he 
was, he had to choose between the loss of his vessel and a 
compliance with the wishes of the dey ; and, in support of 
his decision, he could plead the example of national ships of 
other powers, which had accepted similar tasks. The dey, 
with homely but forcible logic told him, moreover, that 
America paid him tribute, which was an admission of its in- 
feriority, as well as of the duty of its officers to obey him. The 
fault lay really at the door of our government, which con- 
sented to pay tribute. On the eve of departure, the barba- 
rian prince insisted that the George Washington should sail 
with the Algerine flag at the main, while that of the United 
States should be hoisted at the fore, as a mark of inferiority. 
Bainbridge, eager to be out of reach of the dey's batteries, 
consented ; but the instant the ship was at sea, hauled down 
the Algerine flag, and replaced it with the stars and stripes. 
The tribute with which the dey had loaded the George 
Washington was valued at half a million of dollars. In 
addition, Bainbridge carried several wild beasts in cages, as 
presents from the Algerine to the Porte ; and with these, as 
well as with two hundred passengers, the decks were littered. 
'This voyage was always a subject of mortification to Bain- 
bridge, but he occasionally referred to it as full of amusing 
incidents. Among other anecdotes, he was accustomed to 
say that his passengers were puzzled, during prayer, to keep 
their faces to Mecca, in consequence of the tacking of the 
ship. When the vessel entered the Egean sea, towards the 
close of the voyage, this difficulty became so great, the result 
of her going about so frequently, that a man was stationed 



WILLIAM 0. BAINBRIDGE. 311 

at the compass, to give the Musselmen notice when the 
frigate was about to change her course. After much boister- 
ous weather, Bainbridge finally reached the narrow passage, 
called the Dardanelles, guarded by two grim castles which 
frown over that beautiful scene. Apprehensive that if hfer 
flag was known, the George Washington would not be allowed 
to pass, in consequence of the known repugnance of the Sultan 
to admit strange colours in his waters, the American captain 
determined on a stratagem. As he approached the castles, 
accordingly, Bainbridge began to clew up his light sails, as if 
about to anchor, at the same time firing a salute. The salute 
was returned, gun for gun ; but under cover of the smoke, 
Bainbridge rapidly made sail, shooting out of range of the 
castle guns before the deception was discovered. On the 
9 th of November, the frigate anchored under the walls of 
Constantinople, showing, for the first time, the flag of our 
country under the walls of that capital. It was a moment 
full of reflection to the American captain. There had flaunted 
the labarum of Christian Rome ; there had waved the pen- 
nons of the Crusaders ; there the horse-tails of the Ottoman 
had flaunted in the wind ; and now, a solitary vessel, from a 
continent but lately discovered, bore to this storied town the 
flag of a nation bom but yesterday, yet destined in time 
to be greater than Turk, or Frank, or even Roman. 

A new difficulty now arose. The Turkish authorities had 
never heard of the new republic across the Atlantic, and 
when Bainbridge reported his vessel, an answer was returned 
that the Porte knew no such power as the United States of 
America. By a happy thought, Bainbridge explained that 
his ship came from the New World discovered by Columbus. 
This statement proved satisfactory. The American officers 
were allowed to land, were well received, and, in a little 
while, became great favourites. The capudan pasha, espe- 
cially, took a strong fancy to Bainbridge. This high officer 
had married a sister of the reigning sultan, and his friendship 



312 WILLIAM 0. BAINBRIDGE. 

for thQ American soon enabled the latter to save the life of 
the governor of tlie Dardanelles, who had been condemned 
to death for allowing the George Washington to pass without 
a firman. So close was the intercourse between the capudan 
pasha and the American captain, that it had nearly paved 
the way for a treaty, which Bainbridge urged upon our go- 
vernment as both desirable and practicable. Before depart- 
ing from Constantinople, an entertainment was given on 
board the George Washington, at which viands were served 
up from the four quarters of the earth. There were water, 
bread, meats, and fruit from Europe, Asia, Africa, and Ame- 
rica, as well as guests from the same places. On his sailing, 
Bainbridge received from the capudan pasha, as a mark of 
especial favour, a letter of protection. 

The frigate returned to Algiers, in January, 1801, in order 
to discharge some cannon which she had carried out as bal- 
last, and which belonged to the dey ; but she anchored out 
of the range of the batteries, until assured by the authorities 
that no further tasks should be imposed upon her. An inter- 
view followed between the dey and Bainbridge, at which the 
former indulged in angry threats, that might have led to 
serious consequences, if the latter had not produced the letter 
of the capudan pasha. Algiers being a dependency of the 
Porte, the dey dared not disobey his superior. The letter 
of the capudan pasha also enabled Bainbridge to do an action, 
the generosity of which met its reward when he least ex- 
pected it. The sultan, being at war with France, had inti- 
mated to the dey that he must join in the hostilities. The 
next morning, the flag-staff of the French consulate was cut 
down, an intimation that war was declared ; and all the French 
then in Algiers, fifty-six in number, consisting of men, 
women, and children, were seized and ordered to be sold as 
slaves. On hearing this fatal command, Bainbridge inter- 
ceded for mercy ; and the dey, to conciliate one so high in 
favour at ' Constantinople, granted his petition. The wily 



WILLIA3I 0. BAINBRIDGE. .313 

barbarian, however, annexed a condition, which he beheved 
would render the concession nugatory ; he ordered the French 
to leave witliin forty-eight hours. In this emergency, no 
other resource being at hand, Bainbridge discharged his bal- 
last, took in other, and sailed, carrying off the unfortunates 
within the required time. The humanity of this act was 
the more remarkable, because, at that period, the United 
States and France were at war. NajDoleon, who had just 
before been chosen first consul, returned his personal thanks 
to Bainbridge, and, at a later day, when the American officer 
was a captive, used his powerful intercession in behalf of 
the prisoner. The French were landed at Alicant, a neutral 
country, after which the George Washington spread her can- 
vas for home. 

The conduct of Bainbridge was approved, in every respect, 
by his government. During his absence a law had passed 
for the reduction of the navy, the number of captains being 
cut down from twenty-eight to eleven ; but though Bain- 
bridge had been the twenty-seventh on the old list, he found 
himself retained on the new. Tliis testimony to the estima- 
tion in which he was held by the department, was the more 
flattering from the mortifications he had just undergone. A 
further compliment was now paid him, in an order to take 
command of the Essex thirty-two, and join the squadron 
destined for the Mediterranean, under Commodore Dale. On 
this duty, Bainbridge was absent about a year. During his 
cruise, the Essex was deemed a model-ship as to efficiency 
and discipline, and extorted praise wherever she appeared. 
Wanting material repairs, she returned to the United States 
in the summer of 1802, and was laid up at Norfolk. From 
this time until July, 1803, Bainbridge was occupied, under 
the orders of government, in superintending the construction 
of the Siren and Vixen, two armed schooners, which subse- 
quently distinguished themselves in the Tripolitan war. At 
the end of that period, however, he was directed to take com- 



314 WILLIAM 0. BAINBRIDGE. 

mand of the Philadelphia thirty-eight, then fitting out for the 
Mediterranean, where she was to form part of the fleet of 
Preble. 

The different vessels of the squadron were to sail as soon# 
as made ready, and the Philadelphia was one of the first to 
leave for her destination. Bainbridge arrived at Gibraltar 
on the 24th of August, 1803, after a tedious and unpleasant 
voyage ; and two days after, fell in with a ship and brig, of 
suspicious appearance. Hailing the former, Bainbridge 
learned that she was the Meshboha, a cruiser belonging to 
the emperor of Morocco. He was also informed that the 
brig was an American, which the Meshboha had boarded, 
but not detained. The manner of these replies, coupled with 
the movements of the brig, increased the suspicions of Bain- 
bridge, who, boarding the latter vessel, found her in com- 
mand of a prize crew from the Moorish cruiser, her own 
officers and crew being prisoners under hatches. The ship 
was immediately captured, and carried, with the brig, into 
Gibraltar. On examining the papers of the Meshboha, it 
was found that she had permission, from the governor of Mo- 
gadore, to capture American vessels, and this, though Moroc- 
co was nominally at peace with the United States. This 
capture, united to the firm attitude assumed by Preble, who, 
in the following October, visited the emperor of Morocco in 
person, and procured the renewal of the treaty of 1786, 
checked further aggressions from this quarter on our com- 
merce. 

Meantime, Bainbridge, leaving his prize at Gibraltar, 
sailed for Tripoli, in obedience to his orders. He found but 
one American vessel, the Vixen, ofi" this port, blockading. 
Having received intelligence of a corsair which had just 
sailed on a cruise, Bainbridge despatched the schooner in 
pursuit, and was thus left alone, most unfortunately, as events 
soon proved. On the 31st of October, when in chase of a 
suspicious sail, supposed- to be the corsair after which the 



WILLIAM 0. BAINBRIDGE. 315 

Vixen had sailed, the frigate was led in among some sunken 
reefs, not described properly in the charts, where she struck. 
Every effort by the captain, officers, and crew to force the 
Philadelphia off,^ persisted in many hours, failed. Night be- 
gan finally to fall. The Tripolitan gun-boats, perceiving 
from the situation of the frigate, that she could not use her 
armament if they aj)proached her cautiously, made sail, and 
running down to within a convenient distance, hovered there, 
maintaining a deadly and incessant fire on the devoted ship. 
At last, after having exhausted every resource, the Ame- 
ricans surrendered, with tears of shame and despair. In this 
disgraceful hour the presence of the Vixen might have saved 
the frigate and her crew. Thus, for the second time, did 
Bainbridge become a prisoner. The Philadelphia, moreover, 
was the first American frigate captured by an enemy, as the 
Retaliation had been the first national vessel of any rate 
taken by a foe. It seemed, indeed, as if ill fortune had 
marked Bainbridge for its own. 

It was ten o'clock at night when the prisoners were 
landed, but late as it was, the Bashaw waited, in full divan, 
to receive the Americans. The officers, twenty-one in num- 
ber, exclusive of Bainbridge, were established in what had 
lately been the consular residence, under the supervision of 
Sidi Mohammed D'Gheis, one of the chief functionaries of 
the regency. The crew, amounting to about three hundred 
souls, received less favour. Bainbridge, though conscious 
of no intentional error, could not but feel depressed, and 
was, therefore, much gratified when, on the following day, 
he received a letter, signed by all his officers, stating that 
the soundings as well as the charts had justified carrying 
the Philadelphia so close in-shore. In the first moments of 
the capture, when the excited Tripolitans were pouring into 
the frigate, the persons of neither officers nor sailors had 
been respected, and even Bainbridge had to resist by force 
an attempt to deprive him of the miniature of his wife : but, 



316 WILLIAM 0. BAINBRIDGE. 

after the prisoners had been landed, these indignities ceased, 
at least so far as the officer^were concerned. 

The captivity that now ensued ceased only with the ter- 
mination of the war. The officers were subjected to few 
rigours except the restraint of confinement, and even this 
was occasionally alleviated, chiefly through the intercessions 
of Mr. Nissen, the Danish consul, who, in addition to this 
act of kindness, procured books for the prisoners, and devised 
means to open a correspondence between Bainbridge and 
Preble. The studies of the midshipmen were not inter- 
mitted. The members of the crew, however, were com- 
pelled to work on the fortifications, or, if they knew a trade, 
to labour at that. For extra work they were allowed wages. 
When not occupied at their tasks, they were permitted to 
walk through the streets, two or three at a time, and, on 
such occasions, frequently came into collision with the Tri- 
politans, mostly on their own seeking, for which they were 
rewarded with the bastinado, generally administered with 
little severity. The condition of none of the prisoners, 
therefore, was as bad as that of the other captives of the 
bashaw. At the fast of Ramadan, which lasted thirty days, 
and during which hospitality is particularly enjoined on Mo- 
hammedans, both crew and officers were treated with unusual 
kindness. At the Bairam festival, which immediately fol- 
lowed, Bainbridge, and his first lieutenant, afterwards Com- 
modore Porter, were invited to the palace, where the bashaw 
received them with coffee and sherbet. The minister of 
state, Sidi Mohammed D'Gheis, was, after the Danish consul, 
the warmest friend the prisoners had, and to him the officers 
were indebted for occasional leave to ride out into the neigh- 
bouring country, a pleasure only to be fully appreciated by 
those who have exchanged the close, pent air of a prison for 
the perfume of orange groves and the bracing breeze from 
the sea. Even with every alleviation, however, captivity is 



WILLIAM 0. BAINBRIDGE. 317 

irksome, and it was now rendered peculiarly so, by the un- 
certainty that attended the war. The temper of the bashaw 
had to be considered also, for at any moment, in a fit of rage, 
produced by defeat or other causes, he might order his 
prisoners to death. Hence, the unfortunate Americans felt 
continually that the sword of Damocles hung suspended over 
them. 

Meantime, the Tripolitans, favoured by the mild weather, 
addressed all their energies to preserving the frigate. They 
surrounded her with gun-boats, and carried out anchors, and 
by these means finally hove her off the reef into deep water. 
The guns, anchors, and other portions of her equipments, 
which Bainbridge had cast overboard to lighten her, were 
easily recovered, having fallen into the shallow water cover- 
ing the rocks. Li the course of a few days the frigate was 
conducted triumphantly into the harbour, amid the barbarian 
music of her captors, and the salutes of the batteries. She 
was .anchored, for protection, close under the guns of the 
fortifications; her injuries were partially repaired; and a 
force, it was thought, competent to guard her, placed on 
board. Whenever Bainbridge, or any of his companions 
looked seaward, their eyes were greeted with her dark and 
shapely hull, no longer, however, displaying the American 
ensign, but disgraced by the Tripolitan flag. Often, it is 
said, in the solitude of his cell, her late commander brooded 
over the possibility of her being destroyed, by a bold incur- 
sion from the fleet of Preble ; and there is some authority 
for supposing that he suggested to the commodore the feasi- 
bility of the plan. At last, on the 15th of February, 1804, 
nearly four months after her capture, the prisoners were 
awoke, about midnight, by loud reverberations of cannon, 
which shook the walls and echoed sullenly among the sur- 
rounding hills. Soon a bright light danced athwart the 
windows, loud cries were heard, and the firing of cannon 
increased. The glad news now spread that the commo- 



318 WILLIAM 0. BAINBRIDGE. 

tion was occasioned by the burning of the frigate; and no 
words can tell the rapture of the captives at the announce- 
ment. 

Their joy, however, was somewhat mitigated by what 
followed. The bashaw, enraged at this destruction of his 
prize under his very batteries, vented his anger on the officers 
of the Philadelphia. On the 1st of March ensuing, he caused 
them to be removed into close confinement at the castle, 
where, during the remainder of their imprisonment, they 
were kept under rigid guard, all attempts at escape, and 
they were many, being frustrated by the watchfulness of 
their sentinels. Week passed after week, month ghded into 
month, yet the hopeless captives neither saw nor heard any 
thing of Preble. At last, almost when they began to despair, 
the joyful intelligence spread, that his fleet was in the offing. 
. Two days later a heavy firing was heard. The high win- 
dows of their prison prevented the officers from seeing out, 
but as the roar of contending batteries grew louder, the im- 
patience of the Americans could not be restrained; they 
clambered up to the casements, and looking forth, beheld, with 
a thrill indescribable, a fleet of gun-boats under the United 
States flag bearing down on the Tripolitan cruisers, while 
in the backrground the Constitution appeared, coming down 
into the fray, the men on her topgallant yards gathering in 
her canvas, as coolly as if she was entering a friendly port 
to anchor. Soon the gun-boats to windward came into close 
action, when the prisoners beheld the gallant assault of 
Decatur. But they had scarcely obtained a glimpse of the 
fight, when it swept out of range of their windows. The roar 
of guns to leeward long continued, the captives listening to 
the sounds with all the breathless excitement natural to 
their situation. This was the memorable attack of the 3d 
of August, 1804. For five weeks the warfare continued, 
when, on the night of September the 4th, the melancholy 
explosion of the Intrepid led to the cessation of the American 



WILLIAM 0. BAINBRIDGE. 319 

assaults. And now, for many weary months, the prisoners 
were left apparently deserted. 

At last, when autumn had faded into winter, and winter 
given way to spring, more than eighteen months after the 
loss of the Philadelphia, the consul-general for Barbary ap- 
peared off the coast to negotiate on the part of America for 
the release of the captives. The Spanish consul, as agent 
for the bashaw, was directed to confer with him on board 
the Constitution. The negotiation threatening to end in 
nothing, Sidi Mohammed D'Gheis, to facilitate affairs, pro- 
posed that Bainbridge should be allowed to visit the frigate, 
when, by his personal endeavours, a suitable peace might 
perhaps be arranged. The bashaw at first rejected the pro- 
posal, insisting that the prisoner, once free, would never 
return. But the minister of state, who knew the influence 
of honour among Christian nations, offering his own son as a 
hostage for Bainbridge, Jussuf Caramelli finally consented. 
On the 1st of June, 1805, Bainbridge went out to the Con- 
stitution, but, after spending the entire day on board the 
'frigate, returned at nightfall dispirited and with little hope 
of a treaty. The next day, however, the Danish consul, in 
conjunction w^ith the American agent, agreed upon the basis 
of a treaty. 

On the third day, a council was assembled by the bashaw, 
and the terms of this pacification laid before it. Bainbridge 
was invited to be present, an honour never before conferred 
on a prisoner in similar circumstances. The proceedings 
were conducted in French. Jussuf Caramelli, after propos- 
ing to his divan the question of peace or war, found his 
advisers equally divided. "How shall I act?" said the 
bashaw, " four of you are for peace." Sidi Mohammed rose 
and addressed him : " You are our prince and master," he 
said, " you have not called us here to dictate to you, but to 
hear our opinions. It remains now for you to act as you 
please ; but let me entreat you, for your own interest, and 



320 WILLIAM 0. BAINBRIDGE. 

• 

the happiness of your people, to make peace. The bashaw 
hesitated, then drew his signet from his bosom, affixed it 
deliberately to the treaty, and pronounced the words — "/<! is 
pect£G." The treaty was conveyed back to the frigate ; the 
salutes of peace followed ; and the war was terminated. 

A court of inquiry, as is usual on the loss of a national 
vessel, was held upon Bainbridge as captain of the Philadel- 
phia. The court met at Syracuse in June, and the result 
was an honourable acquittal. In the following autumn, the 
officers and crew of the unfortunate frigate reached the 
United States, where they were welcomed with the warmest 
sympathy. Bainbridge now hastened to see a loved family, 
which, at one time, he had almost despaired of beholding 
again. In a few months he was appointed to the command 
of the navy yard at New York. But he did not long remain 
here. He had married when young, and he now found him- 
self embarrassed in his pecuniary affiiirs, with an increasing 
family. The half-pay of his rank was, at that time, but five 
hundred dollars a year, and as there were but few ships, and 
many seniors to command them, he saw but Httle prospect 
of employment. In this emergency, he applied for a fur- 
lough, and entered the mercantile marine, hoping thus to 

advance his fortunes. 

♦ . . . 

He continued in this employment until 1808, without any 

incident occurring worthy of mention here, except the almost 
miraculous preservation of his life from drowning. One day, 
near the Bahama bank, while stepping from his boat to his 
ship, a wave struck the former, and he was pitched headlong 
into the water. He rose at the ' stern of the vessel, but, as 
he could not swim, soon sank again. The mate, in endea- 
vouring to jump after him with a rope, became entangled in 
it, and did not reach the water. Meantime Bainbridge rose 
and sank a second and third time, whirling around and 
around in the ship's wake. Fortunately, when he had dis- 
appeared, as all thought for ever, he perceived the deep sea- 



WILLIAM 0. BAINBRIDGE, 321 

line near him, and, by great exertions, drew himself to the 
surface with its aid, when he was picked up by the boat, 
much exhausted. His mulatto servant. Will, had cast over- 
board the deep searline, and was thus tjie means of saving a- 
life to which our flag subsequently owed one of its most 
brilliant victories. 

The hostile attitude of England, in 1808, rendering a war 
probable, Bainbridge left the merchant service, and applied 
for employment from the government. He was ordered to 
Portland, where he remained about nine months. In Decem- 
ber, 1808, he was transferred to the President forty-four, 
then considered the finest ship in the navy. On board of 
her he now hoisted his first broad pennant, having the com- 
mand of the southern division of our coast; Commodore 
Rodgers commanding at the north. Meantime the prospect 
of a war blew over. Bainbridge, however, continued in the 
President, employed on coast duty, until May, 1810, when, 
his term of service being up, he again sought employment in 
the mercantile marine. On this occasion he went into the 
Baltic. A Danish cruiser here captured him, and sent him 
to Copenhagen. Again he had recourse to his old friend, Mr. 
Nissen, now 'residing in the capital of Denmark. Through 
the exertions of this officer, Bainbridge procured the release 
of bis ship. It was a singular coincidence that, at the very 
moment Mr. Nissen heard of Bainbridge's arrival, he was 
engaged in unpacking a silver urn, which had been presented 
to him by the officers of the Philadelphia, in return for his 
kindness at Tripoli. 

While at St. Petersburg, in the subsequent year, Bainbridge 
heard of the rencontre between the President and Little Belt, 
when he immediately left his ship in command of the mate, 
and undertook a land journey to the nearest Atlantic sea- 
port, intending to sail thence to America. Driven over a 
precipice thirty feet deep, by the carelessness of his coach- 
man, and much bruised, he nevertheless prosecuted his way 



922 . WILLIAM 0. BAINBRIDGE. 

without halting, reaching Gotheburg on the 20th of Decem- 
ber, 1811. War not having yet been declared between the 
United States and England, he repaired to London to take 
passage across the Atlantic. He arrived in Boston early in 
February, 1812, and immediately hastened to Washington, 
where he reported himself ready for service. The cabinet, 
however, had decided, in the event of a war, not to risk our 
few national ships in^what it considered a hopeless naval 
contest with Great Britain. Chagrined personally at this 
determination, and feeling acutely for the national honour 
thus sacrificed, Bainbridge, in conjunction with Stewart, 
warmly expostulated against the decision, and finally induced 
tne government partially to rescind its resolution. Mean- 
time, having been appointed to the Charlestown navy yard, he 
repaired to that post, and was there when, on the 18th of 
June, 1812, Congress declared war. Bainbridge immediately 
applied for a command afloat. As he now stood only the 
fourth captain on the list, and as one of his seniors was too 
infirm for service, and an other was abroad, his request was 
immediately complied with. The three best frigates, how- 
ever, were all absent, so that he had tO content himself with 
the Constellation thirty-eight. But before she could be pre- 
pared for sea, Hull came in with the Constitution,' and 
generously consenting to give her up, in order that others 
might have a chance, Bainbridge was appointed to her. 

Fortune, so long adverse, now smiled at last on Bainbridge. 
The Essex thirty-two. Captain Porter, and Hornet eighteen, 
Captain Lawrence, were also placed under his orders, and 
the squadron directed to cruise for the English East India 
trade, in the south Atlantic. Bainbridge hoisted his broad 
pennant on the 15th of September, 1812. The Constitution 
and Hornet sailed in company from Boston, on the 20th of 
October ; but the Essex, being in the Delaware, was ordered 
to meet her consorts at the Cape de Verdes, or on the coast 
of South America. The Essex, however, from various cir- 



WILLIAM 0. BAINBRIDGE. 323 

curastances, was prevented joining the squadron. The other 
vessels reached St. Salvador on the loth of December. The 
Hornet finding the Bonne Citojenne, a British cruiser of equal 
force, in the harbour, challenged her; but she declined, 
alleging the presence of the Constitution. Bainbridge, on 
this, stood out to sea, and was absent four days ; but, on his 
return, finding that the Bonne Citoyenne had refused a com- 
bat, he left the Hornet to blockade her, and continued his 
cruise alone. His crew was essentially the same as that 
which took the Guerriere. The men shared in their com- 
mander's anxious wish to meet the enemy ; and, at last, on 
the 26th of December, 1812, fortune granted their wish. On 
that day, in latitude 13° 6' S., and longitude 31° W., two 
strange sail were seen, one of which, boldly steering for the 
Constitution, Bainbridge felt confident that he had an 
enemy's frigate before him. 

The Constitution now stood to the southward to draw the 
enemy off the land. At a quarter-past twelve, the stranger 
showed English colours, which, however, she withdrew 
directly after. The American frigate now hauled up her 
mainsail, took in her royals, and tacked toward the foe. 
About two, p. M., the Englishman being half a mile to wind- 
ward of the Constitution, and having nothing flying but his 
jack, Bainbridge ordered a shot to be fibred at him, to induce, 
him to set his ensign. The order was misunderstood by the 
divisions, and a broadside was given. The enemy imme- 
diately l^oisted English colours again, returned the fire, and 
manoeuvred so as to rake the Constitution. The British 
ship, being very strongly manned, was actively handled, and, 
sailing better than the American frigate, would have suc- 
ceeded in her design of raking, if the latter had not been 
managed with unusual seamanship). The action was, in fact, 
a series of evolutions, and terminated several miles to lee- 
ward of the spot where it began. To add' to the disadvan- 
tages under which the Constitution laboured, her wheel was 

22 



324 "WILLIAM O. BAINBRIDGE. 

shot away, about twenty minutes after the battle commenced, 
so that it became necessary to steer her between decks, 
where she could not be watched by the helm as closely as 
was desirable. In addition, Bainbridge was twice severely 
wounded early in the fight, the first time by a musket-ball 
in the hip, the second time by a bolt from the wheel which 
was driven into his thigh. Notwithstanding these injuries, 
however, he maintained his post on deck until the close of 
the conflict, an heroic behaviour which had nearly cost him 
his life, for the long standing so inflamed his leg as subse- 
quently to threaten lock-jaw. 

In consequence of these various disadvantages, the battle 
would have been a drawn one, but for the superior accuracy 
of the Constitution's fire, which soon began to tell with 
terrible effect on the enemy. Spar after spar crashed over 
her sides, picked off" by the unerring aim of the Americans, 
who handled their guns almost as accurately as if the huge 
cannon had been rifles. The main-topmast, the mizzenmast, 
and the bowsprit of the foe had already gone, when Bain- 
bridge, anxious to finish the conflict, determined to close. 
Accordingly, he set his courses, and luffed up to the wind. 
The British frigate, finding the fire of the Constitution too 
heavy, endeavoured to run her aboard ; but a double-headed 
shot carrying away the foremast, and his bowsprit being 
already lost, the ships passed clear of each other. The 
action raged for some little while longer, when Bainbridge, 
discovering that his enemy's guns were silenced, crossed the 
Englishman's bows, and took up a position ahead and to 
windward, where he began to repair the few damages he had 
sustained. Not a spar, however, was lost, but his ship came 
out of action, as it went in, with royal yards across. While 
the Constitution was thus engaged in refitting, the mainmast 
of the enemy fell ; and, being now a complete wreck, he low- 
ered his jack, the only flag left flying, as soon as the Ame- 
rican frigate approached to renew the strife. 



WILLIAM 0. BAINBRIDGE. 325 

The prize proved to be the Java, Captain Lambert. She 
was an old French frigate, rated as a thirty-eight, but carry- 
ing forty-nine guns. Still the weight of metal was in favour 
of the Constitution. The British frigate, however, as we 
have seen, was the fastest ship, and had an. unusual comple- 
ment of men, mustering not less than four hundred at 
quarters, just one-third more than ordinarily found in 
frigates of her size. Her loss is variously stated. The 
English represent it at twenty-two killed and one hundred 
and two wounded. Bainbridge computed it at sixty killed 
and one hundred and two wounded. Among the prisoners 
was Lieutenant-general Hislop and staff, the former of whom 
was going to Bombay as governor. Captain Lambert re- 
ceived a mortal wound, of which he died a few days after. 
The loss of the Constitution was nine men killed and twenty- 
five wounded. Her rigging was much cut up, and some of 
her spars were injured, but none of her damages were of a 
very serious character. Bainbridge, thinking it useless to 
attempt carrying his prize to the United States in her bat- 
tered condition, destroyed her ; and then made for St. Salva- 
dor, where he landed his prisoners. Here an interesting 
interview took place on the quarter-deck of the Constitution, 
between Bainbridge and Lambert, in order that the former 
might restore the dying man his sword. The British captain 
was in his cot, and Bainbridge approached, supported by two 
of his officers. • Lambert died two days after. Indeed, the 
entire demeanor of the Americans to their captives was 
marked by the utmost generosity. Bainbridge even refused 
to appropriate property which, though claimed as private, 
was usually considered forfeited to the victors, an example 
which the British, on subsequent occasions, when the for- 
tune of war went in their favour, declined to imitate. 

The Constitution reached Boston on the 27th of February, 
1813, having, within eight months, captured two frigates 
from the enemy. Bainbridge was received with acclama- 



326 TTILLIAM 0. BAIKBRIDGE. 

tions. His countrymen, feeling that fortune had buffeted 
him unjustly heretofore, took a pleasure now in display- 
ing their joy at his success. His skill and courage were 
eulogized by all, and his name was toasted everywhere with 
applause. He now gave up the Constitution, and resumed 
the command of the Charlestown navy yard. The Indepen- 
dence seventy-four was then building at that place, and 
Bainbridge superintended her construction, intending to sail 
in her as soon as finished. When the British, in the year 
1814, threatened an attack on the navy yard, and the city 
and state authorities, partially disaffected, refused to lend 
their militia to its defence, Bainbridge, acting with becoming 
spirit, appealed to the people, convincing them that, if 
Charlestown fell, Boston also would be attacked, and thus 
finally enlisted public opinion in fiivour of the defence of the 
two places. / The war closed in February, 1815, before the 
Independence was equipped, so that Bainbridge obtained no 
second opportunity to meet the enemy. 

Early in that year, however, a squadron was ordered out 
to Algiers, of which Bainbridge, in the Independence, was 
to be the superior officer. But having to wait for his ship, 
Decatur, the second in command, who had sailed with the 
fleet at once, brought the war to a close before he arrived in 
the Mediterranean. Bainbridge now had under his orders 
the largest naval force that had then ever been assembled 
under our flag ; from eighteen to twenty sail acknowledging 
his broad pennant. He continued abroad until November, 
when he returned to Newport. Bainbridge was thus not 
only the first captain to carry the American flag into the 
Mediterranean, which, it will be recollected, he did in 1800, 
in the George Washington, but the first commodore to appear 
in those classic waters with a two-decker belonging to the 
United States. During his cruise he arranged several diffi- 
culties with the Barbary powers. 

From this period until 1819, Bainbridge remained at 



WILLIAM 0. BAINBRIDGE. 327 

Boston, his pennant flying on board the Independence, now 
converted into a guard-ship. In the latter year he was or- 
dered to sail again for the Mediterranean, at the head of a 
squadron. He hoisted his pennant on board the Columbus, 
a new shipj of eighty guns ; but did not sail until April, 
1820. Efe continued abroad about a year, visiting different 
ports, the object of the cruise being principally to exhibit 
the squadron, m order to impress on the different powers of 
that important sea a proper idea of the efficiency of our 
marine. Bainbridge was very desirous to proceed to Con-, 
stantinople, where he had been twenty years before on a less 
pleasant duty, but a firman could not be obtained to pass the 
castles with so large a ship as the Columbus. In 1821, the 
commodore was relieved, and came home, never to return to 
active service afloat again. 

For some time Bainbridge was in command at Charlestown, 
a favourite station with him. He subsequently acted as the 
head of the Board of Navy Commissioners ; and afterwards 
received the appointment to the navy yard at Philadelphia, in 
which city his family now took up their residence. An un- 
pleasant collision, in 1831, with the Secretary of the Navy, 
forced him from his command ; but, in the following year, he 
was tendered, and accepted the post at Charlestown. He did 
not, however, long remain at that place. Disease had, for 
some years, made him its victim, and, every remedy failing, 
he now gave up the struggle, and returned to his home in 
Philadelphia, to die. 

His disorder was pneumonia, connected with great irrita- 
tion of the bowels and a wasting diarrhoea. His sufferings 
were extreme, and had, for some time, driven him to the 
use of narcotics, which deranged his nerves, and appeared 
to have changed entirely his character. In his better- mo- 
ments, however, he was the same warm-hearted, chivalrous 
gentleman he had ever been. He resigned himself to his 
fate, and awaited the hour of his release. At last, on the 



328 WILLIAM 0. BAINBRIDGE. 

28th of July, 1833, he breathed his last, in his sixtieth year, 
being, at the time of his decease, the third officer of rank in 
the American navy. An hour or two before he died, his 
mind began to wander, and just before the immortal spirit 
left the clay, he started up in bed, demanded his arms, and 
ordered all hands to be called to board the foe. 

In person Bainbridge was tall and of commanding pre- 
sence. His face had been handsome in youth, and his eye 
retained its animation even in age. His temper was quick, 
but placable. He was brave with that high bravery which 
is always cool in moments of danger. His discipline was 
severe, though considerate, and the wants of his crew were 
never disregarded. His manner was cordial. He was hos- 
pitable, chivalrous, magnanimous, a firm friend, sincere, just, 
and patriotic. 




'*«/«»»«, 



8I£AM-SHIP OF WAB. 



ISAAC CHATJJS-CET. 



Circumstances did not allow Chauncey to play so promi- 
nent a part in our naval history as others more favoured by 
fortune ; but he possessed most of the elements of success, 
and if opportunity had been afforded him, would have bril- 
liantly distinguished himself. As acting captain of the Con- 
stitution, during the time she was employed, under Preble, 
before Tripoli, and as commander of the squadron on Lake 
Ontario, during the war of 1812, he will be remembered 
with gratitude by his countrymen. 

Chauncey was born at Black Rock, Fairfield county, Con- 
necticut, of parents who had descended from some of the 
earliest settlers of New England. His father was a farmer, 
and of comparative wealth. Young Chauncey, however, had 

little taste for the quiet, though ennobling pursuits of agri- 

331 



332 ISAAC CHAUNCET. 

culture, but longed for the more adventurous and exciting 
pursuits of the sea. Accordingly, at an early age, he pre^ 
vailed on his parents to place him in charge of one of the 
principal shipmasters of New York. His energy and skill 
in his profession soon vindicated the justice of his selection. 
At nineteen, so rapid was his rise, he commanded a vessel. 
He afterwards ' became concerned in the East India trade, 
making several highly successful voyages, during which his 
reputation as a man of character and as a skilful seaman 
continually increased. 

His ambition, however, directed him towards the naval 
service, as soon as Congress determined to establish a national 
marine. In consequence, early in 1798, he applied for a 
commission in the infant navy. His first rank was that of a 
lieutenant, in which he sailed under Truxtun, the hero of 
the war with France. He subsequently accompanied Com- 
modore Preble to the Mediterranean, and virtually com- 
manded the Constitution, during the eventful cruise before 
Tripoli. In all the stirring events of that year he fully par- 
ticipated. He took part in the various assaults on the town, 
handling his frigate in the most masterly manner, and con- 
tributing not a little, by his hearty and efficient co-operation 
with Preble, to the success of the cruise. His skill and gal- 
lantry, in these transactions, won for him a sword, which 
Congress unanimously voted. 

When the war of 1812 broke out, Chauncey, then at the 
navy yard of New York, was appointed commander of the 
United States squadron on Lake Ontario. At that time the 
shores of the lake were almost a wilderness. The duty of 
the new commodore embraced, not only the commanding, 
but the forming of a fleet. Chauncey proceeded with a 
vigour and skill that soon overcame every obstacle. HuiTy- 
ing to Sackett's Harbour, he had armed and equipped a 
squadron of merchant vessels before the autumn was much 
advanced, and, on the 7th of November, sailed from that 



ISAAC CHAUNCEY. 333 

port, his little fleet carrying forty guns, and four hundred 
and forty men. On the 8th, he fell in with the Royal George 
of twenty-six guns, which vessel he chased into the port of 
Kingston. He now obtained the entire command of the lake. 
Sir James Yeo, obeying the instructions of the British min- 
istry, perseveringly declined a combat ; the English govern- 
ment arguing that, if Yeo triumphed, the only benefit of the 
victory would be the destruction of Chauncey's fleet, while, 
if Chauncey was the conqueror, Canada would be laid open, 
defenceless, to invasion. The American commander, in ad- 
dition, exerted himself to increase his force on the lake, and 
soon completed a sloop-of-war and a frigate, the first in 
twenty-eight, the last in forty-four days. 

During the war, Chauncey was of the greatest service to 
the army, in conducting its operations against Canada. 
Though frequently rendered incapable of active exertion by 
sickness, his eagerness to engage the enemy suffered no di- 
minution, and he lost no opportunity to endeavour either to 
entrap or to force Sir James Yeo into a battle. How little 
success attended these efforts, and what were the causes of 
his failure, will be best seen from his official correspondence. 
Writing on board the General Pike, off" Duck Island, on the 
13th of September, 1813, he says: — "On the 7th, at day- 
light, the enemy's fleet was discovered close in with Niagara 
river, wind from the southward. Made the signal, and 
weighed with the fleet (prepared for action) and stood out 
of the river after him; he immediately made all sail to the 
northward. We made sail in chase with our heavy schooners 
in tow, and have continued the chase all round the lake, 
night and day, until yesterday morning, when she succeeded 
in getting into Amherst Bay, which is so little known to our 
pilots, and said to be full of shoals, that they are not willing 
to take me in there. I shall, however, (unless driven from 
my station by a gale of wind,) endeavour to watch him so 
close as to prevent his getting out upon the lake. 



334 ISAAC CHAUNCET. 

" During our long chase we frequently got within from one 
to two miles of the enemy, but our heavy-sailing schooners 
prevented our closing with him until the 11th, off Genessee 
river ; we carried a breeze with us while he lay becalmed to 
within about three-quarters of a mile of him, when he took 
the breeze and we had a running fight of three and a half 
hours, but by his superior sailing he escaped me and ran 
into Amherst Bay yesterday morning. In the course of our 
chase on the 11th, I got several broadsides from this ship 
upon the enemy, which must have done him considerable 
injury, as many of the shot were seen to strike him, and 
people were observed over the sides plugging shot-holes. A 
few shot struck our hull, and a little rigging was cut, but 
nothing of importance — not a man was hurt. I was much 
disappointed that Sir James refused to fight me, as he was 
so much superior in point of force both in guns and men — 
having upwards of twenty guns more than we have, and 
having a greater w^eight of shot. This ship, the Madison, 
and the Sylph, have each a schooner constantly in tow, yet 
the others cannot sail as fast as the enemy's squadron, which 
gave him decidedly the advantage, and puts it in his power 
to engage me when and how he chooses." 

On the 27th of the same month, Chauncey, having learned 
that the English squadron was in York Bay, made another 
unsuccessful attempt to engage Sir James Yeo. Sailing im- 
mediately, he soon came in sight of the British. His official 
letter says : — " On the 28th, at ten minutes past meridian, 
the enemy, finding that we were closing fast with him, and 
that he must either risk an action or suffer his two rear ves- 
sels to be cut off", tacked in succession, beginning at the van, 
hoisted his colours and commenced a well-directed fire at 
this ship, for the purpose of covering his rear, and attacking 
our rear as he passed to the leeward. Perceiving his inten- 
tion, I was determined to disappoint him ; therefore as soon 
as the Wolfe (the leading ship) passed the centre of his line, 



ISAAC CHAUNCEY. 335 

and abeam of us, I bore up in succession (preserving our line) 
for the enemy's centre. Tliis manoeuvre not only covered 
our rear, but liove him into confusion ; he immediately bore 
away ; we had, however, closed so near as to bring our guns 
to bear with effect, and in "twenty minutes the main and 
mizzen-top-mast and main-yard of the Wolfe were shot away. 
He immediately put before the wind, and set all sail upon 
his fore-mast. I made the signal for the fleet to make all 
sail; the enemj^, however, keeping dead before the wind, 
was able to outsail most of our squadron. I continued the 
chase until near three o'clock, during which time I was en- 
abled in this ship (the General Pike) with the Asp in tow, 
to keep within point-blank shot of the enemy, and sustained 
the whole of his fire during the chase. 

" At fifteen minutes before three o'clock, A. m., I very re- 
luctantly relinquished the pursuit of a beaten enemy. The 
reasons that led to this determination were such as I flatter 
myself you will approve. The loss sustained by this ship 
was considerable, owing to her being so long exposed to the 
fire of the whole of the enemy's fleet ; but our most serious 
loss was occasioned by the bursting of one of our guns, which 
killed and wounded twenty-two men, and tore up the top- 
gallant forecastle, which rendered the gun upon that deck 
useless. We had four other guns cracked in the muzzle, 
which rendered their use extremely doubtful. Our main-top- 
gallant mast was shot away in the early part of the action, 
and the bowsprit, fore and main-mast Avounded, rigging and 
sails much cut up, and a number of shot in our hull, several 
pf which were between wind and water, and twenty-seven 
men killed and wounded, including those by the bursting of 
the gun. We have repaired nearly all our damages, and are 
ready to meet the enemy. During our chase, one, if not two, 
of the enemy's small vessels were completely in our power, 
if I could have been satisfied with so partial a victory, but I 



336 ISAAC CHAUNCET. 

was so sure of the whole, that I passed them unnoticed, by 
which means they finally escaped." 

A few days subsequently, a gleam of success visited the 
squadron, on which Chauncey thus writes : — " I have the 
pleasure to inform you, that I arrived here this morning 
with five of the enemy's vessels, which I fell in with and 
captured last evening, off the Ducks. They were part of a 
fleet of seven sail, which left York on Sunday with two hun- 
dred and thirty-four troops on board, bound to Kingston. 
Of this fleet five were captured, one burnt, and one escaped ; 
the prisoners amounting to nearly three hundred, besides 
having upwards of three hundred of our troops on board from 
Niagara, induced me to run into port for the purpose of land- 
ing both. I have the additional pleasure of informing you, 
that among the captured vessels are the Hamilton and Con- 
fiance, late United States schooners Julia and Growler; the 
others are gun-vessels." 

It was unfortunate for the popular reputation of Chauncey 
that his services on Lake Ontario, though solid, were not 
more brilliant, especially after the dazzling victory on Lake 
Erie had led many, who knew nothing of the difference of 
circumstances, to expect a similar result on the lower lake. 
Chauncey, however, was an efficient and laborious, if not a 
fortunate officer. Though unable to bring the enemy to 
action, and consequently deprived of the glory of a great 
victory, he managed to maintain the command of the lake, 
until just before the close of the war, when the British, by 
the construction of a gigantic vessel, recovered the supremacy 
they had so long lost. 

In 1816, Chauncey was appointed to succeed Bainbridge 
in the Mediterranean. The treaty which Decatur had made 
with Algiers, the preceding year, having been violated by' 
that power, it became necessary to negotiate another ; and 
this task, Chauncey, in conjunction with William Shaler, 
Esq., the American consul-general in Algiers, successfully 



ISAAC CHAUNCEY. 337 

and honourably fulfilled. It is worthy of record that the 
treaty, then entered into, continued, without infringement, 
. until the conquest of Algiers by the French in 1830. Having 
executed this duty, the commodore carried his squadron into 
the various ports of the Mediterranean. His fleet consisted 
of one seventy-four, three frigates, three sloops-of-war, and 
two smaller vessels, an imposing force for our flag at that 
period ; and the number of his ships, the high state of his 
disciphne, and his own personal qualities produced the most 
favourable impression, wherever he went. He returned to 
the United States in 1818. 

In 1820, Chauncey was appointed a Navy Commissioner. 
He held this office until 1824, when he was offered his old 
station, the New York navy yard. In 1833 he returned to 
(the Board of Navy Commissioners, and remained a member 
of that body until his death, which occurred on the 27th of 
January, 1840. At the period of his decease he was Presi- 
dent of the Board. 

Chauncey was laborious and skilful in public business; 
exemplary, dignified, and conciliatory in private life. At the 
time he received his appointment on Lake Ontario in 1812, 
it was generally admitted that a better selection could not 
have been made ; and the fact that he was retained in his 
post until the close of the war, though the commanders in 
the land service were frequently changed, is a proof of the 
high estimation in wliich his services were held. 




CHESAPEAKE AND SHANNON. 



JAMES LAWRENCE. 



The brilliant career of Lawrence, and the melancholy of 
its close, have rendered his name peculiarly dear to the 
American peoj)le. His dying words, "Don't give up the 
ship !" will live in the national memory as long as the flag he 
loved shall wave, or the country he served exist. , 

Lawrence was born in the city of Burlington, New Jersey, 
on the 1st of October, 1781. . His father was a respectable 
lawyer, who, desiring the son to adopt the legal profession, 
put the lad to school at an early age, to prepare for his 
future pursuit. When, however, Lawrence had attained his 
twelfth year, he declared a partiality for the sea ; but his 
338 



JAMES LAWRENCE. 341 

father still cherishing the desire of seeing him a lawyer, he 
continued his studies. He passed through the academy of 
his native place with credit, and subsequently read law two 
years with an elder brother. The death of his father, at this 
period, changed his whole life. The brother, perceiving the 
strong inclination of young Lawrence for the sea, applied to 
the Navy Department for a commission ; and, on the 14 th 
of September, 1798, the future, hero was appointed a mid- 
shipman in the then infant service of the United States. 

His first voyage was to the West Indies, in the Ganges 
twenty-four. After having sailed, in different vessels, for 
upwards of two years, he received, in 1800, an appointment 
as acting lieutenant on board the Adams twenty-eight ; but, 
the following year the navy being reduced, his appointment 
was not confirmed. When the war with Tripoli, however, 
began, he was restored to his old rank; and, in 1803, sailed 
to the Mediterranean, in the Enterprise, as her first lieu- 
tenant. While thus abroad, he partook in most of the glories 
of that celebrated struggle. He was one of the little band 
which, under Decatur's orders, assisted to burn the Philadel- 
phia. He commanded the Enterprise during the memora- 
ble bombardment of the town, covering the attacking gun- 
boats in a manner that won the thanks of Preble. He 
afterwards served as first lieutenant in the John Adams 
twenty-eight, returning to the United States with the com- 
modore in 1805. 

He was not suffered, however, to remain long at home. 
The government had just finished a number of gun-boats, 
which they were anxious to send out to the Mediterranean, 
and to one of these Lawrence was now appointed, with orders 
to sail immediately. Originally intended for harbour service, 
or at most to serve on the Atlantic coast, these slightly built 
craft, overloaded each with an enormous gun, were but illy 
calculated to brave the perils of a long, and perhaps tem-' 
pestuous voyage; and it was the general opinion among 



342 JAMES LAWRENCE. 

naval men, in which Lawrence himself shared, that the pas- 
sage to Gibraltar could not be effected. His sense of duty, 
however, as well as of professional honour, prevented his 
making any objection to the service on which he was ordered. 
Fortunately he reached his destination in safety. But, on 
the coast of Europe, meeting an English frigate, her captain 
would not believe, at first, that Lawrence had crossed the 
Atlantic in his fragile craft. On this occasion, though he 
remained abroad nearly sixteen months, no opportunity oc- 
curred for especially distinguishing himself. 

After the peace with Tripoli, and his return to the United 
States, Lawrence was appointed first lieutenant of the Con- 
stitution. He subsequently commanded the schooner Vixen. 
From this vessel he was transferred to the sloop-of-war Wasp. 
He also sailed in the brig Argus, and afterwards in the 
Hornet, so that, for several years, he was almost constantly 
at sea. On two different occasions he carried out, in his ves- 
sel, despatches to our ministers in Europe. Passing through 
the intermediate grades of master, he had reached the rank 
of commander when the war of 1812 broke out. Imme- 
diately a new impulse was given to the navy, and fresh 
visions of fame rose before the eyes of ambition. Just before 
hostilities were declared, Lawrence was in Europe with de- 
spatches ; and already the inimical feeling between English 
and American vessels was so great, that the young officer 
never met a British ship but he made his own ready for 
action. 

Lawrence had scarcely reached New York, on his return, 
when war was declared. At this time he commanded the 
Hornet eighteen. The frigates President and Congress, and 
the brig Argus were also lying at the same port, the whole 
being under the command of Commodore Rodgers, whose 
broad pennant was flying on board the President. Anxious 
to make a bold dash at the opening of the contest, Rodgers 
immediately put to sea, hoping to intercept the homeward- 



JAMES LAWRENCE. 343 

bound Jamaica fleet; but though the squadron completely 
swept the tr^-ck of the convoy, following it even to the chops 
of the British Channel, no traces of the fleet were seen. 
After a comparatively unsuccessful cruise, Rodgers arrived 
in Boston, on the 31st of August. Here the chagrin of him- 
self and ofiicers was increased, by hearing that, the day be- 
fore, the Constitution had arrived with the Guerriere. Per- 
sonal feelings, however, soon yielded to patriotic ones, and 
Rodgers and his squadron joined in the general exultation. 

A circumstance at this time occurred, which exercised 
much influence on the standing of Lawrence in the eyes of 
his countrymen. The meritorious services of Mr. Morris, 
first lieutenant of the Constitution, induced Congress to ele- 
vate him to the rank of post-captain, passing the two inter- 
mediate grades. In consequence of this proceeding, Law- 
rence found himself out-ranked by one who had been his 
junior; and knowing that fortune only, not superior merit, 
had won for Morris the elevation, he addressed a letter to 
the Secretary of the Navy, remonstrating against the pro- 
ceeding, and intimating that, as a result of it, he would be 
compelled to leave the navy. His language was mild and 
respectful, but firm, yet it displeased the Department ; and 
a contemptuous reply was returned, hinting that if he chose 
to retire, there could still be found heroes and patriots to 
support the honour of the flag. The first resolution of Law- 
rence was to resign. But, on mature reflection, he deter- 
mined to remain, especially as he was about sailing on 
another cruise. He therefore wrote to the Secretary, stating 
his surprise at the tone of the letter he had received, and 
regretting that his former epistle had been considered inde- 
corous ; and, in conclusion, he mentioned that, having pre- 
pared a memorial to the Senate, he should be governed by 
the decision of that body. This manly and discreet conduct, 
so little to be expected from one of so impetuous a character, 
met with its just reward ; for, even before he had returned 



344 JAMES LAWRENCE. 

from his successful cruise, the Senate, in consequence of his 
memorial, had raised him to the rank of captain, making 
him the senior of Morris. 

The Hornet left Boston, in company with the Constitution, 
Captain Bainbridge ; and soon after, arriving at San Salva- 
dor, found there the Bonne Citoyenne, a British vessel of 
war, slightly superior in guns and men to the vessel of Law- 
rence. As the Bonne Citoyenne lay in a neutral harbour, 
it was impossible to attack her; and she refused to come 
out. Actuated by the chivalry of his nature, Lawrence sent 
a challenge to her commander, through the American consul 
at San Salvador. "I request you to state to him," wrote 
Lawrence, "that I will meet him wherever he may be 
pleased to come out, and pledge my honour, that neither the 
Constitution nor any other American vessel shall interfere." 
Commodore Bainbridge, anxious to have the challenge ac- 
cepted, declared, " if Captain Greene wishes to try an equal 
force, I pledge my honour to give him an opportunity by 
being out of the way, or not interfering." Whatever might 
have been the motive of Captain Greene, he evaded this offer. 
His answer was, "that although nothing would give him 
more satisfaction than to meet Captain Lawrence under dif- 
ferent circumstances, and although he was convinced that 
the result of such an encounter could not remain long un- 
decided in his own favour, yet he was equally convinced 
that Commodore Bainbridge knew too well the paramount 
duty he owed to his country, to remain an inactive specta- 
tor, while a ship of his own squadron fell into the hands of 
the enemy, and that he could not expose the Bonne Citoy- 
enne to a risk so manifestly disadvantageous." 

On the receipt of this reply. Commodore Bainbridge left 
San Salvador for four days, while Captain Lawrence day 
before the port in defiance. Still the Bonne Citoyenne did 
not come out. Commodore Bainbridge then went into San 
Salvador, and remained three days. The English officer 



. JAMES LAWRENCE. 345 

might now have applied to the governor to detain tj^e Con- 
stitution for twenty-four hours, and thus ensure a fair en- 
gagement with Captain Lawrence ; but he did not, and con- 
tinued inflexibly to refuse the challenge. Despairing at last 
of tempting him out, Commodore Bainbridge sailed from St. 
Salvador, leaving Lawrence to continue the blockade. This 
the latter did, until the 24th of January, 1813, when the ap- 
pearance of an EngUsh line-of-battle ship, off the port, com- 
pelled the adventurous American to leave. At. the time, 
the whole nation applauded this challenge of Lawrence, and 
though there have been writers who have since questioned 
its propriety, we think that, on the whole, it had a benefi- 
cial effect. The refusal of a British captain to meet an equal 
force was regarded as a tacit admission of inferiority. It 
was truly said that pubHc opinion in England would not have 
allowed any Enghsh officer to decline a similar challenge 
from a French man-of-war. Coupled with the captures of 
the Guerriere, Macedonian, and Java, it gave at once a moral 
influence to the navy, which, except in the single instance 
of the Chesapeake, where it led to excessive and unwise con- 
fidence, produced the most salutary results. 

Having been driven from before San Salvador, Lawrence 
sailed in the direction of Pernambuco, and, on the 10th of 
February, captured an English armed brig, laden with 
twenty-five thousand dollars in specie. Cruising in the 
neighbourhood of Maranham and Surinam, until the 23d, he 
shaped his course, on that day,' for Demerara. On the en- 
suing morning, when near the mouth of the Demerara river, 
he gave chase to a brig, but as she ran into shallow water, 
and he was without a pilot, he finally abandoned the pur- 
suit and hauled off. Just at this crisis another brig was 
seen, outside of the bar ; and as she wore the appearance of 
an armed vessel, and had the British ensign set, it was re- 
solved to attack her. While beating around the Corobono 
bank, which lay between the Hornet and this enemy, another 



346 ^ JAMES LAWRENCE. • 

sail was seen on the weather quarter, edging down. As she 
approached, she was made out to be a heavy man-of-war 
brig ; and soon after she ran up English colours. Lawrence 
now beat to quarters, full of confident enthusiasm in the 
result of the offered battle. 

For more than half an hour, the Hornet kept close to the 
wind, in' order to gain the weather-gage, the enemy running 
free. At last Lawrence, satisfied that he could weather the 
brig, set the American ensign, tacked, and passing the British 
vessel when half pistol-shot, exchanged broadsides, both ves- 
sels using their larboard guns. It was now twenty-five min- 
utes past five, P. M. The enemy now put his helm hard up, 
intending to wear short round, and thus place the Hornet 
under a rfiking fire; but Lawrence, perceiving the design, 
imitated the manoeuvre, and bore down on his quarter in a 
perfect blaze of flame. The Englishman, firing his starboard 
guns, righted his helm. The Hornet now closed. Clinging 
thus, to the starboard quarter of the foe, Lawrence plied his 
batteries with the deadliest rapidity. For nearly fifteen 
minutes the battle hung in suspense. The British, on be- 
ginning the action, had cheered vociferously; but, as the 
strife deepened, and the work of death grew more earnest, 
the huzzas became fainter and fainter, and finally ceased en- 
tirely. On the part of the Americans no shouts were heard, 
from first to last ; for each man, resolute to conquer or sink, 
fought with that stern, silent courage which has no time for 
noisy bravado. 

The superior quickness of the Hornet's fire, united to her 
advantageous position, speedily began to incline the scales of 
battle in her favour. The lighter spars of the enemy, one 
by one, came down crashing from their lofty elevations, and 
the ripping and tearing of her sides, under the American 
shot, was heard distinctly after each explosion. Yet, when- 
ever the smoke of battle eddied off", the British flag was seen 
waving in defiance from the brig. The fire of the Hornet's 



JAMES LATTREXCE. • 347 

crew now concentrated on the hull and decks of the enemy, 
and soon the English officers stood aghast at the frightful 
execution. On their side, the Americans knew, by the 
sharp, wild shrieks rising continually from the brig, that 
their guns were making terrible havoc among the crew of 
the foe. Yet still the British, with that sullen courage for 
which, above most nations, they are remarkable, maintained 
the desperate conflict. The struggle now deepened in fury 
and horror. Soon the enemy fought no .longer for victory, 
but for life ; for the wide wounds in his hull already let in 
torrents of water. Meantime the broadsides of the Hornet 
were like successive claps^ of thunder. At last, when the 
struggle had continued scarcely fifteen minutes, the enemy 
.struck his colours, and, at the same moment, hoisted a sig- 
nal of distress. 

In an instant every sentiment of enmity was forgotten by 
the Americans. The British, so lately regarded as foes, were 
now looked upon only as suffering fellow-creatures. Lieu- 
tenant J. T. Shubrick, hastening to board the prize, which , 
proved to be the English brig Peacock of eighteen guns. Cap- 
tain Peake, found her with six feet of water in the hold, and 
in a sinking condition. Her commander, after receiving two 
wounds, was dead, and thirty-seven seamen were killed or 
wounded. Her mainmast had fallen immediately after she 
struck. No time was to be lost, if her remaining crew were 
to be saved. The two ships were accordingly anchored, and 
the boats of the Hornet sent to the Peacock's succour. Not- 
withstanding all, however, the brig settled with fearful 
rapidity. Her guns were now thrown overboard, and the 
shot-holes which could be reached plugged ; but every, effort 
was in vain ; and, perceiving that she was going down, the 
Americans collected most of her people in the launch, which 
still kept its position on her decks. Unfortunately, however, 
several of the English sailors remained below, seeking for 
spoil, until the brig gave her last plunge. With difficulty 



348 JAMES LAWRENCE. 

those in the launch saved themselves, in the vortex which 
followed the disappearance of the Peacock. Three of the 
Hornet's crew were drowned, and nine of the enemy. Four 
Englishmen, who had been carried down in the brig, saved 
themselves by climbing up her rigging into the fore-top, 
which remained above water, the Peacock having sunk in 
five and half fathoms. 

Thus fell, after one of the shortest actions on record, a 
vessel which had no superior, for her size, in the British 
navy. The Peacock was somewhat inferior to the Hornet 
in her armament, which consisted chiefly of twenty-four 
pound carronades, instead of thirty-two pound carronades, 
with which the American ship was principally armed. But 
the victory of the Hornet was owing rather to the greater 
skill with which she was handled, as well as to the more 
rapid fire of her batteries, than to the superior weight of her 
metal. The Americans aimed chiefly at the hull of the 
enemy, and hence the number of her wounded, and her sink- 
ing condition. The British directed their shots chiefly at 
the rigging of the foe ; and, in consequence, the Hornet suf- 
fered most aloft. She had lost only one man, and had but 
two wounded ; but her sails and running gear were much in- 
jured. The brig for which Lawrence had been first stand- 
ing being still visible, about six miles distant, he supposed 
he would be attacked ; and his earliest leisure was accord- 
ingly directe,d to repairing damages. The enemy, however, 
considered it prudent not to seek the Hornet, although he 
carried fifteen thirty-two pound carronades, and was, there- 
fore, a fair match for the American ship, injured as the latter 
was by her late action. But the appalling rapidity with 
which the Peacock had been sunk smote her consort with 
panic, and she avoided a contest which, under other circum- 
stances, perhaps she would have eagerly sought. 

Being encumbered with the number of his prisoners, and 
having already a scanty supply of stores, Lawrence deter- 



JAMES LATTRENCE. 349 

mined to return to the United States, and not prosecute his 
cruise for the present. Accordingly he steered for New 
York, where she arrived the following month. During the 
voyage the captured officers and crew received the kindest 
attentions from the Americans. The officers of the Peacock 
were so affected by this treatment, that, on their landing in 
the United States, they published a letter of thanks to Cap- 
tain Lawrence. In a rougher way, the crew of the Hornet 
emulated the example set by their superiors, presenting each 
of the British seamen, who had lost all, with two shirts, a 
jacket, and a pair of trousers. The appearance of the con- 
querors in their native waters was hailed with wild enthu- 
siasm. So many naval victories had now been gained over 
the British, that the people began to regard our flag as in- 
vincible ; and the most extravagant expectations were formed 
of the prowess of American ships. Alas ! even now, defeat 
was at hand. As if to add poignancy to the disgrace, this 
repulse was to occur within sight of the third city of the 
Union. And, to cap the climax of disaster, the gallant and 
chivalrous hero of the hour was to be at once the cause and 
victim of the dishonour. 

Lawrence, on his arrival in New York, found himself pro- 
moted to be a post-captain. Soon after he was appointed to 
the Constitution, with the temporary direction of affairs at 
the Brooklyn navy yard. This post was peculiarly agree- 
able to him, since, in consequence of his family, he desired 
to remain a while on shore. What was his chagrin, there- 
fore, when, on the very next day, he received an order from 
the Department, directing him to proceed to Boston, and 
sail in the frigate Chesapeake, then ready for sea. This ves- 
sel was not only one of the worst in the navy, but was con- 
sidered unlucky ; and a crew is always more or less affected 
by these considerations. She had been, it was remembered, 
fired into by the Leopard without resistance, and disgrace 
had clung to her name ever since. Thus, in conjunction 



OjO JAMES LAWRENCE. 

with personal, there were professional reasons why Lawrence 
was averse to taking command of the Chesapeake. All his 
efforts, however, and they were many, to exchange into 
another ship, were fruitless. He is said to have solicited 
Stewart, who desired to sail speedily, to take his place; but 
duty detained the latter officer at Norfolk, and he reluctantly 
declined. Lawrence then endeavoured to get the Hornet, 
but here he was equally unsuccessful. At last, and with a 
heavy heart, as if a presentiment of evil was upon him, he 
took leave of his friends, and, hastening to Boston, assumed 
command of the devoted ship. 

The eagerness that reigned in the public mind to hurry 
our vessels of war to sea, where, it was believed, certain 
triumph awaited them, had already produced the usual fruits 
of such unseemly excitement, an undue confidence in our 
flag, without regard to the relative strength and efficiency 
of the combatants. The Chesapeake was an instance in 
point. She was declared competent to meet any British 
frigate, even though of superior force. Yet her crew was 
dissatisfied on account of the distribution of the prize-money 
of the last cruise; her officers were generally unknown to 
each other ; and the number of landsmen in her was unusual, 
and even perilous, as events soon showed. The Chesapeake 
was ready for sea by the 1st of June, 1813. Meantime, a 
British frigate had appeared off Boston harbour, as if to chal- 
lenge the American frigate to combat. Lawrence, aware of 
the disadvantages under which he laboured at present, saw 
this manifest challenge with regret ; but, as he would have 
sailed if no enemy had come in sight, he scorned to stay on 
that account. Besides his challenge of the Bonne Citoyenne 
rendered it incumbent on him, he considered, to accept the 
present defiance. In vain, therefore, his friends urged him 
to remain; he believed his honour was involved; and ac- 
cordingly stood out to meet fhe foe. 

The frigate in the offing was the Shannon, Captain Broke, 



JAMES LAWRENCE. 351 

one of the finest ships in the royal navy. Her commander 
was not unlike Lawrence in disposition; generous, ambi- 
tious, chivalrous, and brave, he longed to match himself with 
some enemy worthy of his prowess. Aware that most of the 
English ships which had been captured owed their defeat to" 
the bad gunnery of their crews, Captain Broke had drilled 
his men, for several weeks, in this important art, and had 
brought them to a state of high perfection in it. In every 
respect, therefore, the Shannon was more than a match for 
the Chesapeake. She was the larger ship; had the most 
numerous force ; was well-officered ; possessed a picked crew; 
and had been preparing for weeks, solely with an eye to this 
battle. The Chesapeake, on the contrary, was a smaller 
vessel; had officers who scarcely knew each other, much 
less the men ; and, at the very moment of sailing, she wit- 
nessed almost a mutiny on the part of her crew. 

Nevertheless, Broke did not desire to avail himself of any 
unfair advantage?. On this very morning, he had written a 
letter to Laurence, which, unfortunately, the latter never 
received ; for, if it had come to hand in time, it would have 
enabled him to meet the enemy under more equal circum- 
stances. " As the Chesapeake," wrote Broke, " appears now 
ready for sea, I request you will do me the favour to meet 
the Shannon with her, ship to ship, to try the fortune of our 
respective flags. To an officer of your character, it requires 
some apology for proceeding to further particulars. Be as- 
sured, sir, that it is not from any doubt I entertain of your 
wishing to close with my proposal, but merely to provide an 
answer to any objection that might be made — and very 
reasonably — upon the chance of our receiving unfair sup- 
port." Broke then stated -^ery minutely the force of the 
Shannon, and offered to send all British ships out of reach, 
so that the combat might be a fair one. He even offered to 
sail, in company with the Chesapeake, to any given spot on 
the New England coast, and there join battle. " I entreat 



352 JAMES LAWRENCE. 

you, sir," he concludes, " not to imagine that I am urged by 
mere personal vanity to the wish of meeting the Chesapeake, 
or that I depend only upon your personal ambition for your 
acceding to this invitation. "We have both nobler motives. 
You will feel it as a compliment, if I say that the result of 
our meeting may be the most grateful service I can render 
to my country ; and I doubt not that you, equally confident 
of success, will feel convinced that it is only by repeated 
triumphs in even combats, that your little navy can now 
hope to console your country for the loss. of that trade it can 
no longer protect." 

"When the Chesa'peake was perceived coming ' out, the 
Shannon, under easy sail, led the way to sea, thus courte- 
ously leaving to Lawrence to choose the moment to engage. 
Accordingly, about four, p. m., the American frigate fired a 
gun, to intimate that she was ready, on which the British 
ship hove to, with her head to the southward and eastward. 
As the Chesapeake approached, the wind began to freshen, 
so that both vessels were compelled to take in sail. By five, 
p. M., the frigates were well out to sea, the light bearing 
about thirty miles distant. On board both ships an intense 
suspense reigned, but of a somewhat different character. A 
profound silence hung over the decks of the Shannon, and 
her crew breathed short and anxiously as they watched to 
see on which side the Chesapeake would approach. In the 
American ship, during the run out, there had been murmurs 
of dissatisfaction, chiefly in reference to the distribution of 
the prize-money of the last cruise; and though these had 
been quieted by an address from the captain, the sullen air 
of too many of the men remained, and threw an ominous 
aspect over the vessel. Lawrence had been uneasy at these 
signs, but as the two frigates approached, he forgot every 
thing except that his enemy was before him, and, regardless 
of the advantages of the foe, with the spirit of a knight of 



JAMES LAWRENCE. 353 

chivalry steered boldly on, determining to lay the Chesapeake 
yard-arm and yard-arm mth the Shannon. 

The excitement of the scene now became intense. As the 
hostile frigates manoeuvred, each instant approaching nearer, 
their crews became so absorbed that they seemed to have 
lost entirely the sense of hearing ; though the rushing of the 
water under the bows, the noise of the wind in the rigging, 
and the mournful sound of the timbers as the frigates groaned, 
like living things, in anticipation of the combat, went on un- 
ceasingly. At last the foremast of the Chesapeake, as she 
ranged up alongside, came in a line with the Shannon's 
mizzen-mast. The British, unused to this deliberation, 
could restrain themselves no longer; but discharged gun 
after gun, in succession, from the cabin forward, carrying 
death everywhere into the Chesapeake. The American 
frigate, however, restrained her fire until all her guns bore, 
when she poured in her broadside with terrible effect. The 
enemy rephed, as quickly as he could; and, for several min- 
utes, both ships were wrapped in sheets of fire. It was in- 
deed an awful spectacle ! Rarely do vessels of war engage 
in such close proximity; still more rarely under circum- 
stances rendering victory so desirable. Lawrence especially 
felt as if death itself would be preferable to defeat. Thus^ 
in one continued roar of broadsides, the battle went on. 

But man directs, and God overrules. The victory, on that 
day, was not to be with the heroic American ; and, to add to 
his anguish, death was to come imbittered by defeat. Al- 
most at the first discharge he was wounded, but the hurt not 
being mortal, he remained on deck. His officers, however, 
fell around him, like forest leaves beneath a storm of hail. 
The master was killed; the marine officer, the boatswain, 
and the fourth lieutenant mortally wounded ; and the first 
lieutenant seriously injured. The battle had now raged 
about eight minutes. No less than three men had fallen at 
the helm in succession. The fixe of the Chesapeake, how- 



o54 JAMES LAWRENCE. 

ever, was very destructive, the Shannon receiving more 
damage than her antagonist, up to this time. Suddenly, 
however, some of the head sails of the American frigate being 
cut away, she was thrown up into the wind, taken aback, 
and, thus getting sternway, fell aboard the Shannon, with 
her mizzen rigging foul of the latter's chains. By this acci- 
dent, the British frigate obtained a raking position, of which 
she availed herself to sweep the decks of her enemy with 
grape. Meantime, Lawrence, seeing the ships coming toge- 
ther, ordered the boarders to be called ; but the bugleman, 
having hid himself from fear, it became necessary to summon 
the men from below with the voice. The time thus lost was 
invaluable. Before the boarders reached the deck, a ball 
entered the body of Lawrence, and he fell, mortally wounded. 
But, even in the pangs of death, his heroic spirit shone 
triumphant, and, as they bore him* below, his last feeble 
words were, "Don't give up the ship." 

The British, perceiving the confusion on the American 
decks, now came pouring in over her sides. Twenty resolute 
men, at this crisis, might have hurled back the enemy, but 
the decks were, as yet, comparatively empty. When, a mo- 
ment after, the boarders appeared from below, they found 
the foe swarming in constantly increasing numbers from the 
Shannon, armed to the teeth, while their own offensive 
weapons were still stacked in their customary places, around 
the masts and on the quarter-deck. The dense masses of 
the British, and their own comparatively defenceless con- 
dition, made the men of the Chesapeake hesitate for an in- 
stant. It was a crisis when one bold arm would have turned 
the scales. Had Lawrence then been there, to spring to the 
front, perhaps his lion-like nature might have saved the day. 
But the hero was now lying in the ward-room, racked by 
excruciating pains, and with the dews of death fast gather- 
ing upon his brow. He heard, however, the cessation of the 
firing, and fearing the fatal truth, endeavQured to raise him- 



JAMES LAWRENCE. 355 

self, while he told the surgeon to hasten on deck and order 
the officers to fight to the last. " Never let the flag be 
struck," he said ; " it shall wave while I live." 

But, alas ! the day was already lost. In the critical mo- 
ment we have described, not a lieutenant could be found to 
rally the men, the only one left unwounded having followed 
his dying commander below. In this emergency the base 
spirit of mutin}^ decided the contest. Foremost among the 
disaffected had been the boatswain's mate, a Portuguese ; and 
this wretch now removed the gratings of the berth-deck, 
ran below, and called on the rest of the crew to follow. " So 
much for cheating men of their prize-money," cried the mis- 
creant, and most of his comrades imitating his example, the 
few officers on deck, all inferior ones, were left almost alone. 
Some brave spirits gallantly remained, and faced the enemy, 
but they were speedily cut down. The British now held 
undisputed possession of the decks. 

From the hour of the capture, Lawrence was not known 
to speak, except to ask for the wants made necessary by his 
condition. He lingered for four days in the ward-room, his 
own cabin being too shattered for use, and his acute physical 
anguish preventing his removal to the Shannon. Perhaps 
the bodily agony he endured drowned his mental sufferings ; 
and if so, it was a blessing. At last, on the 6th of June, he 
turned his face away from his attendants, and, in that 
pathetic attitude, breathed his last. As soon as the soul had 
left the earthly frame, the body was removed from the ward- 
room, and laid, wrapped in the American colours, on the 
quarter-deck of the Chesapeake. 

When the frigate arrived in Halifax, the enemy, mindful 
of the kindness of Lawrence to the crew of the Peacock, 
buried the corpse with unusual honours, the pall being sup- 
ported by the oldest captains of the royal navy then in port. 
A ^writer, at the time, eloquently remarked : " The naval 
officers crowded to yield the last sad honours to a man who 

24 



3.jG JAMES LAWRENCE. 

was late their foe, but now their foe no longer. There is a 
sympathy between gallant souls that knows no distinction 
of clime or nation. They honour in each other what they 
feel proud of in themselves. The group that gathered round 
the grave of Lawrence presented a scene worthy of the heroic 
days of chivalry. It was a complete triumph of the nobler 
feelings over the savage passions of war. We know not 
where most to bestow our admiration — on the living, who 
showed sucli. generous sensibility to departed virtue, or on 
the dead, in being worthy of such obsequies from such spirits. 
It is by deeds like these that we really feel ourselves sub- 
dued. The conflict of arms is ferocious, and triumph does 
but engender more deadly hostility ; but the contest of mag- 
nanimity calls forth the better feelings, and the conquest is 
over the affections." 

The bones of the hero were not destined, however, to rest 
in a foreign soil. A few wrecks after the interment, Mr. 
Crowningshield of Salem, and ten other masters of vessels, 
sailed, under a flag of truce, to Halifax, where they received 
the bodies of Captain Lawrence and Lieutenant Ludlow, 
and with their melancholy burden returned home. Having 
landed at Salem, a procession was formed, and, amid impo- 
sing ceremonies, the bodies were re-interred, in the presence 
of a vast multitude. Subsequently the remains of Lawrence 
were removed to the city of New York, and buried in the 
graveyard of Trinity church, where a handsome monument 
still records his dazzling career and his early doom. 

There was a pathos about the death of Lawrence which 
endears his name to us peculiarly. He who falls a martyr 
in the cause of his country, wins our sympathies far more 
than the conqueror who survives. The last words of this 
hero will ever recur at the mention of his name. . We see 
him fall dying on the deck, and hear him, as he is borne off, 
exclaim, " Don't give up the ship." We behold him drawing 
his last breath, far from his family, and under a hostile flag ; 



X 



JAMES LAWRENCE. 357 

and we think sadly of his vain exclamation, " Don't give up 
the ship." "We gaze on the sacred remains, lying alone by 
night on the quarter-deck, wrapped in the colours for which 
he died, and involuntarily the pathetic appeal rises to our 
memory, " Don't give up the ship." Other naval heroes have 
our acclamations, Lawrence has our tears. 

Lawrence was generally a favourite with his men, though 
as a disciplinarian he was severe, his high and generous 
quahties winning their affection, while his strict sense of 
justice commanded their respect. He was cool in battle, 
and unassuming in victory. In private life few men were 
so amiable, of such firm principles, or so winning in deport- 
ment. His sense of honour was unusually keen ; and it led, 
as we have seen, to his untimely death. As an officer he 
strictly and faithfully performed his duty, for, during the 
sixteen years he was in the service, he never had a furlough, 
except on one occasion, and then only for six weeks. 

Lawrence left a wife and two children, and a third was 
born after his death. Thus, every thing connected with his 
fate was of a mel9,ncholy character. His name, in conse- 
quence, has a talismanic power over the bosoms of Ame- 
ricans. 




WILLIAM H. ALLEN. 



It was the fortune of William Henry Allen to be present 
in several of the most brilliant naval actions of the United 
States, and to distinguish himself in all. It was his fate, 
like the lamented Lawrence, to seal the cause for which he 
fought with his blood. 

Allen was the son of Brigadier-general William Allen, of 
Rhode Island, an officer who served with credit through the 
entire war of Independence. The subject of our sketch was 
born at the city of Providence, shortly after the close of the 
contest, on the 21st day of October, 1784. The wish of his 
parents being to place him in one of the learned professions, 
he undertook the usual preparatory studies ; but the lad had 
imbibed a passion for the sea, and before he had completed 
his sixteenth year, his entreaties prevailed with his father to 
procure him a commission in the navy. Accordingly, in 
May, 1800, he entered the service as a midshipman. 

His first appointment was to the George Washington 
twenty-four, Captain Bainbridge, fitting out to carry tribute 
358 



WILLIAM H. ALLEN. 361 

to the Dey of Algiers. In the biography of Bainbriclge we 
have detailed the events of this cruise at length. As a mid- 
shiprnan, Allen was distinguished for strict attention to his 
duties, a rapid proficiency, and a keen sense of honour. The 
ship returned to the United States in April, 1801 > but those 
not being days when the younger officers were allowed to be 
idle, Allen was, within eight days, ordered to the Philadel- 
phia thirty-eight, Captain Barron, about to sail for Tripoli. 
After an absence of a year, this frigate returned home ; but, 
four months subsequently, Allen was again ordered to sea, 
this time in the John Adams twenty-eight, Captain Rodgers. 
He remained abroad, on this cruise, until December, 1803. 
When he left his ship, on his return, he had been only three 
years and seven months in the navy ; yet, during that time, 
he had been three times to the Mediterranean, and had 
spent the entire period, with the exception of about six 
months, on active duty. 

Early in 1804, Allen was appointed sailing master of the 
Congress thirty-eight, Captain Rodgers ; and, in July, sailed 
in her on a fourth voyage to the Mediterranean. During 
the passage out he fell overboard, and narrowly escaped 
drowning. While the squadron was lying before Tripoli, the 
senior officer, Barron, fell ill, and Rodgers, in contemplation 
of the possibility of the command devolving on himself, 
resolved to reconnoitre the harbour, intending to follow it up 
■with an attack. Accordingly, taking Allen with him in the 
Nautilus, he approached the port. Just outside the entrance, 
the daring navigators embarked in a boat, and, with muffled 
oars, pulled towards the town. After completing their sound- 
ings, they passed so close to some Tripolitan gun-boats, that 
they heard their crews conversing; they also distinguished 
the talk of the sentinels on the battery. A storm came up 
as they were leaving the harbour, so that it was with diffi- ^ 
culty they reached the Nautilus, which, having waited for 
them as long as was prudent, was about leaving her position 



362 WILLIAM H. ALLEN. 

when they appeared through the gloom. In October, 1805, 
Allen was promoted to a lieutenancy. He returned to the 
United States with the fleet, in 1806. 

Hitherto the career of Allen had presented little to record. 
He was now to take part in one of the most exciting events 
of his day. In February, 1808, he received orders to join 
the Chesapeake thirty-eight. Captain Barron, then preparing 
at Washington for the Mediterranean. In this vessel he 
sailed as third lieutenant. The Chesapeake had scarcely left 
the coast, when the Leopard, a fifty gun ship, belonging to 
the British navy, overhauled her, and, on pretence of her 
having deserters from the royal flag on board, claimed to 
search her. Allen's rank gave him command of the midship 
division of the gun-deck. The whole ship was much lum- 
bered up, and this part of her particularly so ; but when the 
attack began, Allen made the utmost exertions to clear it, 
and soon partially succeeded. There were, however, no 
powder-horns ready with which to prime the guns. Commo- 
dore Barron having gone to sea entirely unprepared for a 
fight, — a culpable negligence, but one palliated by the reflec- 
tion that this country was then at peace with all the world. 

With some difficulty, after the fire of the Leopard had 
continued nearly fifteen minutes, priming powder was brought 
up from the magazine. No matches, however, were to be 
had. In this contingency, Allen ran to the galley, procured 
a coal, and with it discharged one of the guns. Simulta- 
neously, Barron ordered the colours to be hauled down, so 
that no other guns were fired, though two more only waited 
the match. Thus, in this unhappy affair, Allen had the 
credit of discharging the solitary cannon that was fired. The 
broadsides of the Leopard killed and wounded between 
twenty and thirty of the Chesapeake's crew, most of these 
being in Allen's division, that being the most exposed. 
Though his share in this transaction was so honourable in 
every way, the young lieutenant keenly felt the insult which 



WILLIAM H. ALLEN. 363 

his country had suffered, and dwelt upon it, for a long time, 
in his letters to his friends. 

The next service on which Allen was employed was in 
cruising off Block island during the embargo, to capture ves- 
sels violating that law. The Chesapeake, to which he con- 
tinued attached, had been ordered on this duty in 1808 ; and 
he remained engaged in it until February of the following 
year. He was now directed to join the United States forty- 
four, Commodore Decatur, as first lieutenant. This vessel 
was employed, from that period until the declaration of war, 
in cruising off the coast. Immediately after hostilities be- 
gan, however, Decatur sailed in hopes of finding a foe, and, 
on the 25th of October, 1812, met and captured the Macedo- 
nian, a British frigate of slightly inferior force. When the 
enemy was first -seen, Allen w^ent aloft, and having satisfied 
himself that she carried the English pennant, descended, and 
jocosely announced her to his fellow officers as lawful prize. 
After she struck, he was the first person to board her. The 
gratifying task of conducting her into port was now intrusted 
to him. This duty he safely performed, carrying her first to 
Newport, and then to New York, at both which places he 
was received with enthusiastic applause. Decatur, in his 
despatches, particularly recommended Allen to the notice of 
government. Rhode Island and Virginia each bestowed on 
him a sword. 

His name now stood prominently before the country, and, 
in reward for his bravery, he was made master-command- 
ant. In the following year, the command of the Argus six- 
teen was intrusted to him, under circumstances the most 
flattering. Mr. Barlow, our minister at the court of France, 
having died, and Mr. Crawford been appointed his successor, 
Allen was selected to conduct the new functionary to his 
destination, — a duty which the young officer safely executed, 
notwithstanding the vigilance of the English blockading 
squadron. Having landed Mr. Crawford at L'Orient, Allen 



364 WILLIAM H. ALLEN. 

proceeded to execute certain secret instructions wliicli lie had 
received from the Department, and which were to cruise in 
the Irish Channel, and there do every jDOSsible injury to the 
enemy's commerce. This duty was, in some respects, pecu- 
liarly congenial to his bold and adventurous mind ; it was 
fraught with peril, and it promised the most beneficial results 
to the country. Yet it was one, in some respects, invidious, 
since his opponents would be generally defenceless merchant- 
men. He resolved, therefore, that, while he carried terror 
far and near in that narrow sea, he would exhibit the utmost 
forbearance and even generosity to his prisoners ; and to this 
resolution, so worthy of a high and honourable mind, he 
rigidly adhered. 

Never, since the days of Paul Jones, had the commerce of 
Britain suffered so much, at her own door, as it did now. 
Cruising almost constantly within sight of shore, Allen soon 
captured English merchantmen, valued, with their cargoes, 
at two millions. The alarm became general. The insu- 
rers in London raised the rate of premiums extravagantly. 
The British admiralty despatched vessel after vessel in pur- 
suit of this daring foe. Yet still Allen proceeded in his task 
of burning and sinking the enemy's traders under the very 
shadows of the English hills, thus, as it were, taking ven- 
geance for the insult offered to the Chesapeake in the vicinity 
of our own waters. His conduct throughout, however, to 
his prisoners, was marked with unusual kindness. If he cap- 
tured a prize, and she carried passengers, their property was 
sacred from plunder; and, on one occasion, when a sailor 
belonging to the Argus was detected in pilfering from a pas- 
senger, he was summarily punished. The British journals, 
little accustomed as they were to praise Americans, could not 
refuse doing justice to this conduct, and were unanimous, 
according to a contemporary writer, in testimonials of respect 
to Allen's forbearance. 

Meantime the Pelican, a British man-of-war brig, carrying 



WILLIAM H. ALLEN. ' 365 

sixteen thirty-two pound carronades, four long sixes, and one 
twelve-pound carronade, was approaching the scene of Allen's 
triumphs ; and, as she was about a fourth larger than the 
Argus, her commander. Captain Maples, felt little doubt of 
being able to capture the latter vessel, if he could fall in with 
her. Chance soon gave him the opportunity for -which he 
sought. On the night of the 13th of August, the Argus cap- 
tured a merchant brig, loaded with wine from OjDorto, and 
having removed her crew, set fire to her, as usual with such 
^prizes. The burning ship, illuminating the horizon for miles, 
met the eyes of the look-outs on board the Pelican. Captain 
Maples, certain that he had his enemy before him, imme- 
diately made sail in the direction of the conflagration. The 
British crew were all fresh, and aware of their superiority ; 
and they awaited the conflict, therefore, with eager impetu- 
osity. The Americans were fatigued with their incessant 
labours, and worn out for the want of rest ; yet, when the 
Pelican was made out shortly after daybreak, but one senti- 
ment prevailed on board, and that was to meet the foe. Allen 
himself had frequently declared that he would never refuse 
a challenge from any two-masted vessel ; and he now pre- 
pared, notwithstanding the evident disparity in size, coura- 
geously to fight his antagonist. 

It has often been regretted that the Argus did not en- 
deavour to decline the combat. It is said that her crew 
were more or less intoxicated, from wine secretly obtained 
on board the late prize. But, if this was true, Allen knew 
nothing of it. He believed his men were as fit to go into 
battle as they would be at any time while on the coast, and 
hence he acted right in accepting the challenge. The ser- 
vice on which he was employed would have degenerated into 
virtual freebooting, if he had ran from the first armed brig 
of the enemy he met. The moral effect of such a flight 
would have proved a serious injury to our reputation for 
honour, if not for bravery. The instinct of that lofty courag© 



36 6 WILLIAM H. ALLEN. 

which at once prompted him to meet the foe, was, therefore, 
founded in pohcy as well as justice. Nor can the capture of 
the Argus, which ensued, be considered as the inevitable result 
of a contest between A^essels of such disparity in size. It is 
probable that, if Allen had not fallen wounded early in the 
fight, or if the batteries had been served with the usual ac- 
curacy of aim in our service, the Pelican, instead of the 
Argus, would have had to strike her flag. But the loss of 
their commander disheartened the American crew; it was 
an omen of evil at the very threshold of the fight. More- 
over, in no naval conflict during the war, did any American 
vessel injure her antagonist so little, a fact which is partially 
explained by the weariness of Allen's crew, but more com- 
pletely accounted for by a tradition in the service, that the 
American carronades, being double-shotted, could not drive 
their balls into the enemy's sides. 

Allen, at first, endeavoured to gain the wind of his antago- 
nist, but finding this impossible, he shortened sail to allow 
the enemy to close. About six o'clock, the vessels came 
within range, when the American wore and fired her larboard 
broadside. The English brig promptly returned the fire. 
And now as the combatants drew nearer, the battle deepened. 
Soon Allen fell, mortally wounded, a round shot having torn 
off his leg. He refused to be carried below, but, fainting from 
loss of blood, was borne off the deck within eight minutes 
after the action had begun. In a short time, the first lieu- 
tenant, Mr. Watson, being stunned by a wound in the head 
from a grape-shot, was also carried below. Still, however, 
the action went gallantly on. The enemy, by keeping 
away, endeavoured to cross the stern of the Argus ; but the 
latter, promptly luffing into the wind, the manoeuvre was 
frustrated ; at the same time a terrible broadside was poured 
into the Pelican, which, for a moment, almost turned the 
scales of battle. But, in filling again, the American brig 
broke round ofi", all her after-braces having been shot away. 



( * WILLIAM H. ALLEN. 367 

The enemy now succeeded in crossing the stern of the Argus 
and raking her; and the wheel ropes and most of the run- 
ning gear being thus shot, the American vessel soon became 
unmanageable. Mr. Watson, having recovered his senses, 
now returned on deck, when he found the Pelican lying 
under the stern of the Argus, pouring in unresisted broad- 
sides. The action had now lasted half an hour, and Mr. 
Watson saw, that, unless something was done speedily to 
turn the tide of fortune, a surrender would be inevitable. 
Accordingly, he made an effort to carry the Argus alongside 
her antagonist, in order to board ; but it was impossible to 
move the American brig. At last, at forty-seven minutes 
past six, after having protracted the contest until hoj)e was 
madness, Mr. Watson directed the colours to be struck. At 
the same instant, the Pelican falling aboard, the British crew 
came pouring in over the bow. 

The loss of the Americans was seven killed, and seventeen 
wounded; that of the British seven killed and wounded. 
The Pelican suflfered but little in hull or rigging, while the 
Argus, as we have seen, was rendered unmanageable. Cap- 
tain Allen's wound was, from the first, considered mortal. 
While yet at sea, it was found necessary to amputate the 
limb, but the surgeons could hold out but little hope, in con- 
sequence of the shattered condition of the thigh. On reach- 
ing Plymouth, whither the Pelican carried her prize, he was 
removed to the hospital on shore, where a separate apart- 
ment was procured for him, and a female nurse procured ; 
indeed, no effort was spared by his generous captors to save 
his life, or alleviate his sufferings. But he entertained no 
hope of surviving. His last words to his crew, on being re- 
moved from the brig, were, " God bless you, lads, we shall 
never meet again." He continued sensible, conversing cheer- 
fully, until within about ten minutes of his dissolution, when 
he sank exhausted, and expired without a struggle. His 
death occurred towards midnight of the 18th of August, four 



36 8 WILLIAM H. ALLEN. 

days and a half after the battle. He was buried, on the 
21st, with military honours, eight captains of the royal navy 
bearing his pall, and a lieutenant-colonel's guard of marines 
attending the corpse. The flag of his ship, wrapped around 
the coffin, was buried with him. 

A contemporary, whose judgment of men was only sur- 
passed by the polish of his pen, thus sums up the character 
of Allen : " By the company and conversation of the elegant 
and polite, the hard and severe duties of the sailor acquired 
a sort of polish, and his character presented that combination 
of gallantry, grace, and intrepidity, that so irresistibly at- 
tracts. In the hour of danger, he was calm, intrepid, and 
persevering; in private intercoursp guarded, affable, and 
delicate. Entering into the navy with large and expanded 
ideas of honour, the perils he encountered, and the hard ser- 
vice he endured, consolidated his romantic and floating 
visions into rules and principles of action. By never lower- 
ing his lofty standard amidst the jostle of so many contend- 
ing difficulties, he at length arrived at the eminence which 
he sought, and new trials served only to call into exercise 
new and unexplored resources of fortitude. He had so long 
forsaken every other consideration for glory, that he finally 
measured his life by this standard, and felt a repulsive anti- 
pathy to whatever fell short of that measure." 

The personal appearance of Allen was manly, and even 
handsome. The energy of his character, displayed in his 
countenance, gave him, at all times, an eminently command- 
ing appearance. 




EDWARD R. McCALL. 



The gallant action between the Enterprise and Boxer, 
•which resulted in the capture of the British vessel, shed a 
halo of renown around two young officers, hitherto compa- 
ratively unknown. One of these, the generous Burrows, 
perished in the arms of victory ; but the other, Edward R. 
McCall, survived to receive the gratitude of his countrymen 
and of the nation. 

McCall was a native of South Carolina, a state which has 
given many heroic officers to the navy. He was born in 
Charleston, on the 5th of August, 1790. At an early age 
he lost his father. But this event, usually so great a misfor- 
tune to the education of a lad, was alleviated in a measure 
to McCall. His guardian proved to be a friend as sincere as 
he was judicious, and under his culture the youth early gave 
promise of high and noble qualities. McCall, from a boy, 
evinced a taste for the sea. Accordingly, his guardian not 
only expressed a willingness to gratify the lad's darling wish, 

369 



370 EDWARD E, XcCALL. 

but directed the studies of the youth in the way most useful 
for his intended profession. At the age of fifteen, a mid- 
shijDinan's warrant was procured for McCall, when he em- 
barked, with all the ardour of his years, in his chosen career. 

McCall first served on board the Hornet eighteen. Captain 
J. H. Dent. He so rapidly perfected himself, during the 
ensuing five years, in his profession, that, in 1811, he was 
attached to the Enterprise twelve. Captain Blakely, as acting 
lieutenant. He remained in this vessel, under this gallant 
commander, until the latter left her, and Burrows succeeded ; 
and was still serving as her second officer, when the action 
with the Boxer occurred. The decisive character of this 
victory has been attributed, not merely to the boldness and 
skill of Burrows, but to the admirable condition in which 
Blakely had left, and McCall had retained the Enterprise. 
The courage, activity, and resources of McCall were also con- 
spicuous in the combat. In forty minutes the Boxer, though 
of superior force to the American schooner, struck her flag, 
having been reduced almost to a wreck. 

On the fall of Burrows, McCall took command of the 
Enterprise, and carried her, with her prize, safely into Port- 
land. Here, one of his first acts was to pen the following 
official account of the victory to Commodore Hull, command- 
ing naval officer on the eastern station. " In consequence 
of the death of Lieutenant-commandant William Burrows, 
late commander of this vessel, it devolves on me," he mo- 
destly wrote, " to acquamt you with the result of our cruise. 
After sailing from Portsmouth on the 1st instant, we steered 
to the eastward ; and on the morning of the 3d, off Wood 
Island, discovered a schooner, which we chased into this har- 
bour, where we anchored. On the morning of the 4th, 
weighed anchor and swept out, and continued our course to 
the eastward. Having receive^d information of several pri- 
vateers being off Manhagan, we stood for that place ; and on 
the following morning, in the bay near Penguin Point, dis- 



EDWARD R. MCCALL. 371 

covered a brig getting under way, which appeared to be a 
vessel of war, and to which we immediately gave chase. 
She fired several guns and stood for us, having four ensigns 
hoisted. After reconnoitring and discovering her force, and 
the nation to which she belonged, we hauled upon a wind to 
stand out of the bay, and at three o'clock shortened sail, 
tacked to run down with an intention to bring her to close 
action. At twenty minutes after three, p. m., when within 
half pistol-shot, the firing commenced from both, and after 
being warmly kept up, and with some manoeuvring, the 
enemy hailed and said they had surrendered, about four, p. m.; 
their colours, being nailed to the masts, could not be hauled 
down. She proved to be his Britannic majesty's brig Boxer, 
of fourteen guns, Samuel Blythe, Esq., commander, who fell 
in the early part of the engagement, having received a can- 
non-shot through the body. And I am sorry to add that 
Lieutenant Burrows, who had gallantly led us into action, 
fell also about the same time by a musket-ball, which termi- 
nated his existence in eight hours. 

"The Enterprise suffered much in spars and rigging, and 
the Boxer in spars, rigging, and hull, having many shots be- 
tween wind and wdter. It would be doing injustice to the 
merit of Mr. Tillinghast, second lieutenant, were I not to 
mention the able assistance I received from him during the 
remainder of the engagement, by his strict attention to his 
own division and other departments. And of the officers 
and crew generally, I am happy to add, their cool and deter- 
mined conduct have my warmest approbation and applause. 
As no muster roll that can be fully relied on has come into 
ray possession, I cannot exactly state the number killed and 
wounded on board the Boxer ; but from information received 
from the officers of that vessel, it appears there were between 
twenty and twenty-five killed and fourteen wounded." 

The tone of this despatch won almost as much praise for 
McCall as his conduct in the victory. It was said that here 

25 



372 EDWARD R. MCCALL. 

was a young officer, only twenty-three years old, and having 
never witnessed a naval combat before, who exhibited a 
modesty in detailing the victory that rivalled his skill and 
courage in assisting to win it. The citizens of Portland, as a 
token of their admiration, entertained him at a public dinner 
shortly after his landing. He had been raised to the full 
rank of a lieutenant a few months before, so that his country 
could not testify its gratitude by advancing him to this 
grade ; but Congress, at the next session of that body, paid 
him a compliment even more flattering than promotion, by 
voting him a gold medal for the victory. Thus, at an age 
when most young men are just beginning life, McCall had 
won honours which many officers die, gray-headed, without 
attaining. 

The subsequent career of McCall, in consequence of the 
speedy peace, was barren of striking events. After the cap- 
ture of the Boxer he was transferred to the Ontario, a sloop- 
of-war then lately launched. Subsequently he served under 
Perry, in the Java, during the cruise of the latter in the 
Mediterranean. On his return from this voyage, he remained 
unemployed, until ordered to the Peacock sloop-of-war, about 
to sail for the European seas. In 1831 he obtained leave of 
absence, and remained on shore constantly afterwards. He 
had already indeed obtained an enviable reputation, .and 
could afford to rest on his laurels. 




WILLIAM BURROWS. 



Like Lawrence and Allen, Burrows perished in battle. 
Almost at the commencement of his career, and just as he 
stretched out his hand to grasp the phantom glory, death 
cut short his anticipations. But, unlike the others, he fell . 
with the shout of victory ringing in his ears ; he could thus 
welcome the grim enemy in the words of Halleck : 

" But to the hero, when his sword 

Has won the battle for the free, 
Thy name sounds like the prophet's word, 
And in its hallowed tones are heard 

The thanks of millions yet to be !" 

William Burrows was born in 1785, at Kinderton, near 
Philadelphia, the seat of his father, William Ward Burrows, 
originally from South Carolina. The future hero was edu- 
cated with the greatest care, under the eye of his parent, a 

gentleman of polished mind and engaging manners. Before 

S16 



376 WILLIAM BURROWS. 

he had reached his fourteenth year, he displayed so decided 
a predilection for the sea, that a midshipman's warrant was 
procured for him, and, in January, 1800, he joined his first 
ship, the Portsmouth twenty-four, Captain McNeale. In 
this sloop-of-war he sailed for France. During the cruise, he 
was distinguished for the modesty of his behaviour, no less 
than for his eagerness to attain proficiency in his new pur- 
suit. He carried his humility so far, indeed, that he was 
disinclined to wear the uniform until he should do something 
worthy of it. In this, perhaps, there was also a little eccen- 
tricity, a trait that clung to him through life. 

On his arrival home from this cruise, he obtained a fur- 
lough, in order that he might study navigation and French 
more thoroughly than they could be learned, at that period, 
in active service. Returning to duty, he served on board 
various ships until 1803, when he was appointed to the Con- 
stitution, then about to sail for the Mediterranean. Com- 
modore Preble, whose quick eye soon discerned the merit of 
the young officer, gave him a commission as acting lieutenant. 
During the war with Tripoli, Burrows distinguished himself on 
several occasions ; particularly in one instance, when, rushing 
into the midst of a mutinous crew, he seized the ringleader. 
He remained abroad for several years, and subsequently 
served in different vessels. While on board the Hornet as 
first lieutenant, he saved the ship in a violent gale, solely by 
his presence of mind and consummate seamanship. Not- 
withstanding his merits, he was passed over in several pro- 
motions, though perhaps without any intentional neglect on 
the part of government; and when at last he was commis- 
sioned regularly as a lieutenant, he found himself the junior 
of several officers whom he had commanded in the Mediter- 
ranean. 

This apparent injustice preyed deeply on the mind of Bur- 
rows. Naturally proud and sensitive, he shrank from society, 
and, in silence and secrecy, brooded over his wrongs. His 



WILLIAM^ BURROWS. 377 

dissatisfaction was increased, when, having stated his claims 
to the department, he received no redress. Unwilling to 
remain in a service where he fancied himself degraded, he 
tendered his resignation; but the government refused to 
receive it. ' At this he grew more moody and unsocial than 
ever. The service disgusted him. He had entered the navy 
thirsting for distinction, and now, seeing others rising to 
eminence, while he was apparently pushed intentionally 
aside, the only hope that made life sweet to him departed, 
ajid he seemed to lose all care for existence. A contempo- 
rary, who knew him well, says : — " Men of gayer spirits and 
more mercurial temperament may readily shake off vexa- 
tion, or bustle it away amid the amusements and occupations 
of the world ; but Burrows was scanty in his pleasures, limit- 
ed in his resources, single in his ambition. Naval distinc- 
tion was the object of all his hopes and pride ; it was the 
only light that led him on and cheered his way ; and whatr 
ever intervened left him in darkness and dreariness of heart." 
He applied for a furlough in this access of despondency, and, 
entering on board a merchantman as first officer, sailed for 
Canton. War meantime broke out between the United 
States and England, and on his return passage. Burrows was 
captured and carried into Barbadoes. Although allowed to 
come home on parole immediately, he was not exchanged 
until June, 1813 ; and consequently, during the most brilliant 
period of our naval victories, was unable to get to sea. 

But a new era in his life was now opening before him ; an 
era short in duration, but dazzling with glory ; an era that 
has fixed his name for ever in the memory of his country- 
men. Soon after having been exchanged, he was appointed 
to the command of the Enterprise, a brig of sixteen guns, 
which, from her first cruise in the war of 1798 up to that 
hour, had been uniformly successful. From the hour when 
this post was assigned to him the whole demeanour of Bur- 
rows was changed. It was as if light had suddenly been let 



378 WILLIAM BURROWS. 

into a dark valley. The face, that had never been known 
to smile, became clothed with sunny radiance. He threw off 
partially his reserve ; he grew urbane and engaging ; and 
those who had lately regarded him as a misanthrope, now 
wondered at the manly sincerity of his manners.' The En- 
terprise had been engaged, before Burrows assumed her com- 
mand, in watching the enemy's privateers between Cape Ann 
and the Bay of Bundy; and in this duty she was still di- 
rected to continue. Accordingly, on the 1st of September, 
1813, Burrows left Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in his gal- 
lant little brig, and steered to the eastward. He had but 
one wish, which was to meet a foe. And fortune, so long 
adverse, gratified this desire almost immediately. 

Three days after he sailed, Burrows chased a schooner 
into Portland. On the following morning, he stood out to 
sea, pursuing his original course. While opening the bay, 
near Penguin Point, a brig was discerned in shore, getting 
> under way. It soon became evident that she was a British 
man-of-war, and desirous of a trial of strength with the En- 
terprise, for she hoisted three ensigns, fired a gun as a chal- 
lenge, and stood out. Burrows, promptly accepting the de- 
fiance, hauled up in order to clear the land, and led the way 
seaward. A calm for a while delayed the progress of both 
vessels, but a breeze from the south succeeded, and this 
giving the Enterprise the weather-gage, she manoeuvred for 
a while to try her relative capabilities with those of the 
enem}^, and then shortened sail, fired a gun, hoisted the stars 
and stripes, tacked, and ran down with the intention to bring 
the foe to close quarters. The British vessel seemed as eager 
for the combat as her antagonist. The two vessels approached 
on opposite tacks ; and, on both decks, there was the silence 
of death. It was about twenty minutes past three, p. m., 
when the brigs, nearing each other, kept away together, for 
a moment running side by side, their rows of gaping cannon 
frowning within pistol-shot. All on board the Enterprise 



WILLIAM BURROWS. 379 

continued hushed, but suddenly a storm of cheers burst from 
the British sailors, and simultaneously both vessels poured 
in their broadsides. 

Amid a dense cloud of smoke, and reeling from the con- 
tinued discharges, the Enterprise drew ahead, until she found 
herself well forward of the enemy's bow. Here Burrows, 
dashing across his antagonist in front, poured in a destruc- 
tive fire from a heavy gun, which, before the action com- 
menced, he had brought from forward and run out of one of 
the cabin windows. The enemy was now allowed to come 
up again on the quarter of the Enterprise, when the two 
brigs renewed the battle more fiercely than ever, with their 
opposite guns, the American keeping well on her antago- 
nist's bow. Before this, however, Burrows had received a 
musket-ball through his body, and fell ; but, though he knew 
the wound to be mortal, he refused to be carried below. 
Raising his feeble head, as he lay upon the deck, he cried, 
" Never strike the flag." The directing of the battle now 
devolved upon Lieutenant McCall. Soon after, the main- 
top-mast of the enemy went overboard ; and, at this welcome 
sight, the eye of the dying hero, which had begun to glaze, 
lighted up. " Stand fast, my lads," he feebly cried, as the 
life-blood ebbed away, " stand fast, and the day will soon be 
ours." The Enterprise now steered athwart the forefoot of 
the enemy again, raked her once or twice more with the long 
gun aft, and then resumed her station on the starboard bow 
of the foe, where she maintained a destructive fire. 

All this time, the wounded man, lying on the deck where 
he fell, watched eagerly the progress of the fight, cheering 
his crew with a voice that grew weaker and weaker as the 
sands of existence ran lower. At last, about four, p. m., 
some person hailed from the British to say they had struck. 
A smile irradiated the features of Burrows at the words. 
The enemy was told to haul down his flag, when the Ame- 
rican fire would cease ; but he replied that the colours were 



380 WILLIAM BURROWS. 

nailed to the mast, and could not be removed until the En- 
terprise stopped firing. Possession was immediately taken 
of the captured brig, which proved to be the Boxer, of four- 
teen guns, and a crew of about seventy men, commanded by 
Captain Blythe, an officer of distinction in the royal navy. 
This unfortunate gentleman had been killed, however, early 
in the action, by an eighteen-pound shot, which cut him 
nearly in two. The Boxer's loss was never known. Sixty- 
four prisoners were taken, of whom seventeen were wounded ; 
and four dead bodies had been thrown overboard. The En- 
terprise had one man killed and thirteen wounded, of whom 
three subsequently died. Both vessels were more or less in- 
jured ; but the Boxer much the most considerably. 

The dying captain of the Enterprise still continued on 
deck, even after the enemy struck, and until the sword of 
the British captain was brought to him, when he clasped his 
hands, and exclaiming, "I am satisfied, I die contented," 
suffered himself to be carried below. As he had expected, 
every effort to save his life proved impracticable. His wound 
was beyond the power of surgery. But, notwithstanding the 
agony which his injury might have been supposed to occa- 
sion, he seemed unconscious of pain ; the recollection of his 
victory evidently drowned all physical sensation ; and, with 
a smile upon his lips, he sank gradually and almost imper- 
ceptibly away. A few hours after the battle, and while the 
vessels were still at sea, he breathed his last. 

The Enterprise made sail for Portland, where she arrived 
with her prize, on the 9th. The body of each commander 
was brought in his own ship, and landed in the town, where 
the striking spectacle gathered awe-inspired crowds to be- 
hold the remains. A little while before. Captain Blythe had 
officiated at Halifax as pall-bearer to the lamented Law- 
rence ; now, the same duty was to be performed for him, 
under like melancholy circumstances. Burrows lay so calm 
in death, that those who remembered him while living felt 



WILLIAM BURROWS. 3 SI 

that the finger of victory only could have smoothed those 
placid lines. Both commanders were buried with military 
honours, and in one grave. They who had been foes while 
living, now mingle their dust in the same tomb. 

Though usually reserved, and even repellent in demeanour, 
Burrows had an amiable and susceptible heart. His intellect 
was quick ; his character full of energy. An extreme sensi- 
tiveness, a morbid pride were his chief faults. He was dis- 
tinguished for a keen perception of the ludicrous, and, though 
rarely seen to laugh, possessed, in an eminent degree, a 
certain dry humour which is described as " setting tables in 
a roar." He sought but few friends, yet these loved him en- 
thusiastically. He was kind and compassionate to the hum- 
ble and dependent ; and many acts of unostentatious charity 
are told of him. With the common sailors he was a fa- 
vourite. 

Thus lived and died William Burrows. His last hours, 
spent lying on the deck of his little vessel, form a.^ impres- 
sive a scene as American history affords. 




BUILDINO THE LAKE FLEET. 

OLIYEE H. PERRY. 

It was reserved for Oliver Hazzard Perry to capture the 
first British squadron which ever struck to the American 
flag. This feat at once raised him, from comparative obscu- 
rity, to the highest pinnacle of popular renown. 

There has, however, been much controversy among naval 
writers respecting the exact amount of merit due to Perry for 
the victory of Lake Erie. During more than thirty years, 
the ears of the public have been vexed with contradictory 
narratives, with partisan arguments, with intemperate dia- 
tribes upon this subject. But nothing has been able to 
shake the popularity of Perry. The gallant manner in 
which he fought his own ship until she was perfectly un- 
manageable, and then carried his flag in an open boat through 
the thickest of the battle, hoisting it on board the second 
vessel of his squadron and gaining the victory at last, ex- 
hibited a courage and determination which won over the 
public mind at once, and will ever keep it true to its first 
love. Without the dogged heroism which Perry displayed, 
382 . ■ ' 



OLIVER H. PERRY. 385 

the battle of Lake Erie, in spite of every thing, would have 
been lost. To him, therefore, should belong the chief credit 
of the action. Those who, in seeking to remove undeserved 
obloquy from Elliott's name, assail that of his great com- 
mander, commit an injustice even more flagrant than the 
one of which they complain. 

Oliver Hazzard Perry was descended from a reputable 
family, originally of the Society of Friends. His ancestors 
settled in Massachusetts, about the middle of the sixteenth 
century, but, being compelled by religious persecution to fly 
from that colony, removed to Rhode Island, where they es- 
tablished themselves at South Kingston. His immediate 
progenitor was Christopher Raymond Perry, a gentleman 
who served, first in the mercantile marine, and subsequently 
in our infant navy. Oliver Hazzard was born on the 20th of 
August, 1785. The early years of the lad were marked by 
few peculiar occurrences. He neither displayed more courage 
nor more ability than his schoolmates; but, if he differed 
from them in any particulars, it was in being more generally 
engaging and loved. He was active, obliging, and of singu- 
larly prepossessing appearance, qualities which attended him, 
the last especially, to his grave. He was prudent also, it is 
said, above his years. He continued at school until his 
fourteenth year, when his father being appointed to the 
General Greene twenty-four, he resolved also to adopt the 
sea as his profession ; and accordingly entered the navy as a 
midshipman, his warrant being dated April the 7th, 1799. 

His first cruise was on board his father's vessel, which 
sailed to the West Indies, to protect our trade in that quarter. 
In two voyages, in this quarter, young Perry saw much ser- 
vice, though he had not the good fortune to participate in 
any action. His father was an officer of spirit as well as 
skill, so that Perry was educated in a good school. During 
the second cruise of the General Greene, she had taken in 
convoy an American brig bound to Havana. Off" the latter 



386 OLIVER H. PERRY. 

harbour, an English two-decker fired a shot at the brig to 
bring her to; but the elder Perry, directing his convoy to 
disregard this threat, the British ship sent a boat in chase of 
tbe brig. The General Greene, at this, fired a shot ahead of 
the boat, as an intimation to go no closer. This induced the 
boat to board the sloop-of-war, while the two-decker, closing, 
demanded how the General Greene dared to fire as she had 
done. The elder Perry answered with becoming spirit that 
he had discharged the shot to prevent a vessel under his con- 
voy from being boarded. As Perry's proceeding was in strict 
conformity with maritime usage, the British captain knew 
that he had gone too far already, and accordingly desisted. 
The conduct of the elder Perry was the more bold, because 
few, at that time, ventured to dispute, in any way, the man- 
dates of British armed ships. 

At the reduction of the navy, consequent on the peace 
with France, the elder Perry was not retained in the service. 
The son, however, remained. In the spring of 1802, the 
latter -svas ordered to the Adams twenty-eight, then about to 
sail, under Captain Campbell, to the Mediterranean. This 
vessel, on arriving at Gibraltar, was ordered to blockade a 
Tripolitan lying in that port, a duty in which she continued 
engaged, from July, 1802, to March, 1803. This service was 
of the greatest importance in advancing the skill and sea- 
manship of Perry, as few things are so instructive as partici- 
pating in the handling of a ship in narrow waters. Captain 
Campbell was early attracted by the fine personal appear- 
ance and pleasant manners of Perry, and finding him, in ad- 
dition, studious, attentive, and considerate above his years, 
resolved to give him an acting appointment as Heutenant. 
To enhance the compliment, the orders were made out on 
the 20th of August, 1802, the seventeenth birth-day of Perry. 
It is believed that but two other instances of such early pro- 
motion have been known in the navy. In November, 1803, 
the Adams returned to the United States. During this 



OLIVER H. PERRY. 387 

cruise of eighteen months, Perry had not only established 
his reputation as a seaman, but had stored his mind with 
much elegant and useful information, gleaned from the classic 
realm of the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, he was ordered 
home just as Preble was going out, and hence lost the chance 
in participating in those glorious deeds which first made 
Decatur and Stewart famous, and in which Perry himself 
was so peculiarly fitted to shine. 

After having been on shore for nearly a year, Perry, in 
the summer of 1804, was ordered to join the Constellation 
thirty-six, under his old commander. Captain Campbell. 
This frigate sailed for the Mediterranean in July, reaching 
Tripoli in September, six days after the explosion of the 
Intrepid, an event which, in effect, terminated the operations 
before the town. Subsequently the Constellation was em- 
ployed near Derne, in seconding the attack of General 
Eaton, but her size prevented her being of much ser\dce. 
Perry was now transferred to the Nautilus fourteen, in the 
capacity of first lieutenant. He had never yet enjoyed an 
opportunity to show his high quaUties in battle, but he had 
won the reputation of an efficient deck-officer, and, in the 
autumn of 1805, he was complimented, in consequence, by 
receiving from Commodore Rodgers an order to join the Con- 
stitution, as one of her lieutenants. In this capacity Perry 
remained for about a year, when he followed the commodore 
to the Essex, as second lieutenant, and accompanied him 
home. The preference shown by Rodgers to Perry was the 
more honourable as the commodore was not only rigid in his 
exactions of duty, but unusually fastidious in the choice of 
his subordinates. Indeed, Perry, though not as yet renowned, 
like his more fortunate rivals of the Tripolil^n war, was re- 
garded as one of the most promising young officers in the 
navy, and believed, by all who knew him, to want only op- 
portunity to become pre-eminently distinguished. The re- 
sult verified these predictions. 

26 



388 OLIVER H. PERRY. 

On his return to America, Perry was ordered to superin- 
tend the building and equipment of certain gun-boats. After 
their completion, he remained attached to them for several 
years, with the command of a division. In 1808 he was 
employed to oversee the construction of a second flotilla. In 
1809, to his relief, he was removed from this disagreeable 
species of service, and appointed to command the Revenge, 
a schooner Vt^hich had been lately brought into the service, 
and whose armament consisted of fourteen short and light 
guns. In this vessel he passed the summer of 1809, and 
the ensuing winter, cruising on the northern and eastern 
coast. In May, 1810, the Revenge sailed for the southern 
coast, after having put into Washington for repairs. During 
this latter cruise, he enjoyed his first ojiportunity for ex- 
hibiting that daring spirit. which subsequently made him 
famous. An American vessel had been run away with by 
her captain, an Englishman by birth ; who, hoisting English 
colours on her as if English built, carried her into the Spanish 
waters, off Amelia island. With the consent of the Spanish 
authorities. Perry resolved to seize her. Accordingl}^, sus- 
tained by three gun-boats, he brought the vessel safely off. 
Two English cruisers were lying in the vicinity, but neither 
interfered. It is probable that they knew the justice of the 
seizure, and hence declined to interfere, but Perry, when he 
made the attack, fully expected to have a combat with them. 
Returning to the northern coast in August, 1810, the 
Revenge continued cruising until the 8th of January, 1811, 
when she was wrecked on Watch Hill Reef in Long Island 
Sound. This accident was owing to no fault of Perry, but 
to the tides and thick w^eather, combined with the careless- 
ness of the pilot ; and the court-martial, which assembled as 
usual in all such cases, not only entirely exonerated Perry 
from blame, but extolled his coolness and judgment. Before 
the close of this year, Perry was promoted to the rank of 
master and commander. There being no other vessel to 



OLIVER H. PERRY. 3g9 

bestow upon him, he was compelled to return to the gun- 
boat service. He continued to command a division of these 
vessels on the Newport station until the declaration of war in 
June, 1812. At this event, so welcome to an enterprising 
young officer, he sought to be released from his monotonous 
duty, and obtain a command which would place him within 
'reach of the glory and honours which he foresaw awaited his 
contemporaries in the navy. He accordingly endeavoured 
to obtain a sloop-of-war, but failed, in consequence of so 
many of his senior officers applying for commands. He saw 
with regret the opportunities for distinction gliding away. 
He heard continually of victories in which he had no part, 
but which he felt capable of rivalling, if the chance were 
offered to him. At last the thought struck him to apply for 
a post on the Lakes, Avhere, about this time, preparations 
were being made to construct a squadron; and his offer 
having been accepted, in February, 1811, he started to join 
Commodore Chauncey at Sackett's Harbour, 

The duty on which Perry was now detailed was to super- 
intend the building of a fleet on Lake Erie. The task was 
one of the most arduous character. At that period the 
shores of both Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, instead of being; 
dotted with thriying towns, were covered with the original 
forests, except where here and there the smoke from a rude 
frontier village went curling to the sky ; while the lakes 
themselves, so far from being covered with steamers, only 
exhibited an occasional sail, or the birch canoe of an Indian. 
The few roads which joined this wilderness with the older 
settlements were little' more than avenues cut through the 
forest. The streams, which it was indispensable to navi- 
gate, were obstructed by rapids or choked up ^vith driftwood. 
Not only the shipwrights to build the fleet, but the very sup- 
plies requisite for them had to be transported for hundreds 
of miles, from the Atlantic cities, through difficulties that 
would appear incredible now, when in the course of a few 



390 OLIVER H. PERRY. 

hours, the sustenance of an entire army and the materials 
for a dozen squadrons can be carried over the same distance 
by the aid of steam and raih^oads. So great was the ex- 
pense of transportation, that Harrison, early in the year, de- 
clared that half the money it took to feed his army would 
build and equip a fleet that would give him the entire com- 
mand of Lake Erie. From these facts we can learn how 
great were the difficulties which Perry had to contend with 
in his new career; and what credit was due to him for 
having, before the spring was past, launched all his vessels. 

It still remained, however, to collect the necessary stores 
and armaments, as well as to enlist crews, for all which it 
was necessary to go to the Atlantic sea-board. While thus 
employed, Perry learned that the squadron and army below 
were about to make a descent on Fort George ; and as Com- 
modore Chauncey had engaged to give him the command of 
the seamen that were to land, he immediately started in an 
open boat to join the expedition. The commodore received 
him warmly, and the next morning, when he reconnoitred 
the enemy's batteries, carried Perry with him. In the de- 
barkation that followed. Perry displayed equal coolness and 
courage. At one time, when the British were seen from his 
mast-head advancing in force, Perry, fearing that Colonel 
Scott, who led the advance, would be surprised by them, 
sprang into his boat and pulled down the entire line to ap- 
prize Scott of the resistance that awaited him. In the de. 
spatches announcing the victory of the day, Commodore 
Chauncey mentioned the services of his young lieutenant in 
the most honourable terms. 

The result of these operations was to give the Americans 
the command of the Niagara river, by which they were ena- 
bled to carry several vessels, lying at Black Rock, past the 
position of the enemy and up the current into Lake Erie. 
This difficult task was successfully executed by Perry. 
Finally, about the middle of June,, Perry sailed from Buf- 



OLIVER H, PERRY. 391 

falo for Erie, at which latter place he now collected his 
whole force. His squadron was not yet, however, in a con- 
dition to leave port; but by- almost incredible exertions it 
was rendered so by the first week in August. He now only 
waited a chance to put out into the lake. The British, who 
for years had maintained more or less of a fleet on Lake 
Erie, and had greatly increased it since the war broke out, 
lay off the port watching for Perry ; but as there was a bar 
across the mouth of the harbour, difficult to cross, the Ame- 
rican officer hesitated to run the hazard in the presence of 
an enemy. At last, however, the British squadron disap- 
peared suddenly from the offing, when Perry promptly made 
sail. It is said that Captain Barclay, the British com- 
mander, knowing that Perry's fleet was not entirely manned, 
believed that the Americans would not put to sea until their 
expected reinforcements had arrived, and accordingly ac- 
cepted an invitation from the inhabitants of Dover, a small 
Canadian town, to dine with them. The misapprehension 
was fortunate for Perry, since otherwise he might never have 
been able to leave Erie. With great difficulty, and only by 
the use of camels, was he able to carry his larger vessels over 
the bar; had a watchful enemy been at hand, the entire 
American fleet must have fallen a sacrifice. But fortune, 
not less than bravery, favours the hero. 

The crossing had scarcely been effected, when the enemy 
reappeared, and some distant firing took place between j)or- 
tions of the two squadrons. Perry, aware that Barclay was 
without his largest ship, the Detroit, which lay at Maiden, 
endeavoured to bring on an action imm^iately; but the 
British commander was able to elude this purpose, and, has- 
tening up the lake, added the new ship to his squadron. 
Foiled in his design, Perry sought an anchorage off Erie, to 
await the arrival of a reinforcement of seamen despatched 
from the lower waters. In a day or two the reinforcement 
appeared, commanded by Captain Elliott, an enterprising 



392 OLIYER H. PERRY. 

young officer, who had already signalized himself on the 
lakes, and who had just been promoted to the rank of mas- 
ter and commander. Perry now sailed again in pursuit of 
the enemy, who still lay at Maiden. The British, however, 
declined to come out; on which the Americans anchored 
in Put In Bay, a haven among some islands favourably 
placed for watching Maiden. Ilere Perry was seized with 
the disease incident to the lakes at this season of the year ; 
and, to render the situation of the fleet more perilous, all 
three of the medical officers, as well as a majority of the 
crew, were taken ill also. Fortunately, at this crisis, a rein- 
forcement of one hundred volunteers was received from the 
army. Early in September, also. Perry recovered sufficiently 
to leave his cabin; and immediately resolved to bring on 
an action, even if it became necessary to tittack the enemy 
at anchor. The British, however, being short of provisions, 
and anxious to open their communications with their posts 
below, had determined, in the mean time, to engage Perry ; 
and, accordingly, on the morning of the lOtli of September, 
the very day succeeding that in which the Americans had 
resolved on an attack, the British squadron was seen in full 
sail down the lake. At once preparations were made for 
battle. 

The force of the two squadrons was very nearly similar. 
The British had the largest number of guns, and their shijDS 
were generally provided with bulwarks ; but, on the other 
hand, the Americans, though inferior in guns and mostly 
without bulwarks, had many of their guns mounted on pivots, 
so that they could be used on either broadside. The Ane- 
rican guns, too, were generally of heavier metal than those of 
the British. The British squadron consisted of the Detroit, 
Capt. Barclay, nineteen guns; the Queen Charlotte, Capt. 
Finnis, seventeen guns ; the Lady Prevost, Lt. Buchan, 
thirteen guns ; the Hunter, Lt. Bignall, ten guns ; the Little 
Belt, three guns ; and the Chippewa, one gun : in all sixty- 



OLIVER H. PERRY. 393 

three guns. The American squadron consisted of the Law- 
rence, Capt. Perry, twenty guns ; the Niagara, Capt. ElHott, 
twenty guns; the Caledonia, Lt. Turner, three guns; the 
Ariel, Lt. Packett, four guns; the Somers, Mr. Almy, two 
guns ; the Porcupine, Mr. Scnatt, one gun ; the Scorpion, 
Mr. Champlin, two guns ; the Tigress, Lt. Conklin, one gun ; 
the Trippe, Lt. Holdup, one gun : in all fifty-four guns. Of 
these vessels, the Lawrence, Niagara, and Caledonia were 
brigs ; the Trippe was a sloop ; and the rest were schooners. 
In some respects one, in some the other, squadron was supe- 
rior ; but, on the whole, they were so equally matched, that 
victory could be relied on certainly by neither. It was only 
heroism and good conduct that could win the day. The 
scheme of the British was to concentrate their whole fire on 
Perry's ship, after dismantling which they expected to make 
an easy prey of the rest. In this they had nearly succeeded, 
especially as Elliott, who had been directed not to leave his 
place in the line, did not risk disobedience, even when he 
saw the peril of his commander. But Perry, when the Law- 
rence could no longer be ^fely fought, sprang into a boat, 
and rowed down the line of battle till he reached the Niagara; 
then, bringing this vessel into the van of the action, he 
turned the scale, and achieved a decisive victory, capturing 
the enemy's entire squadron. The loss of the Americans 
was twenty-seven killed, and eighty-eight wounded. The 
British suffered about as much. 

The intelligence of Perry's victory was received with un- 
bounded enthusiasm by the nation. The boldness with which 
he had transferred his flag to the Niagara, passing through 
the thickest of the battle in an open boat, dazzled and fasci- 
nated the popular fancy. The triumph was attributed uni- 
versally to this novel exploit. The people loved to relate 
that he carried in his own hands the flag of the Lawrence, 
with the motto " Don't give up the ship,", and that he stood 
up gallantly in the stern-sheets of the boat, until the oarsmen 



394 



OLIVER H. PERRY. 




BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE. 



pulled liim down. Even old men dilated on this act of 
daring. Not only his fellow citizens, but Congress itself 
welcomed the young victor with rapture. A gold medal 
was ordered to be struck, commemorative of the battle of 
Lake Erie, and presented, in the name of the nation, to Perry. 
As there was p"roperly no broad pennant on the lake, and as 
the hero was thence deprived of the prize-money that would 
legally have fallen to that rank, Congress voted to him a 
gratuity of five thousand dollars, in addition to the seven 
thousand five hundred which fell to him as captain of the 
Lawrence. Even now, after the lapse of nearly two gene- 
rations, the victory of Lake Erie has not lost its spell, and 
the gratitude of the people to Perry is still evidenced by 
public places being called after him. Forty counties, towns, 
and villages in the United States bear the honoured name 
of Perry. 

Perry continued on the lakes for some time after his vie- 



OLIVER H. PERRY. 395 

tory. He assisted in regaining possession of Detroit, as also 
in transporting the army of Harrison across the lake; and 
subsequently shared in person in the brilliant victory of the 
Thames. His presence with the troops, flushed as he was 
with recent triumph, inspired the soldiers, and assisted to win 
the day. He afterwards joined Harrison in a proclamation 
to the Canadians, inviting them to place themselves under 
the protection of our government. When the campaign 
was brought to an end, he returned to Newport, where his 
family resided, and where he quietly resumed his old com- 
mand. A hero of Perry's stamp, however, could not be 
allowed to remain on shore while war continued ; nor indeed 
did his ardent and ambitious mind desire idle and protracted 
repose. Accordingly, in August, 1814, he was appointed to 
the Java forty-four, a new ship, fitting out at Baltimore. 
The large blockading squadron which the British kept off 
the Chesapeake from this time forward, 'jDrevented Perry, 
however, from getting to sea. His crew, as well as himself, 
were actively employed, when the enemy descended the 
Potomac from Alexandria, in annoying their retreat. When 
the attack on Baltimore was made. Perry remaiAed on board 
to defend his ship. Soon after, it being in contemplation to 
equip two light squadrons to harass the trade of the British, 
Perry was transferred from the Java to the more honourable 
command of one of these squadrons. He immediately caused 
the keels of two brigs to be laid, intending subsequently to. 
construct two more, and have the whole five ready for sea 
as soon as possible. Peace, however, soon followed, when 
the enterprise was abandoned. 

In May, 1815, Perry was attached anew to the Java. In 
January, 1816, he sailed in this ship for the Mediterranean, 
where he joined the squadron of Commodore Shaw before 
Algiers. In January, 1817, the Java returned to the United 
States. Perry's life, for the next two years, was embittered 
by two unhappy controversies, which have not, we regret 



396 OLIVER H. PERRY. 

to say, added to liis fame. The first of these arose out of an 
unfortunate altercation with one of his officers in the Java. 
During the return voyage of that vessel, Perry, in his own 
cabin, struck his subordinate. A naturally quick temper, 
and the fact that the blow was given after dining on shore, 
are the only excuses that can be adduced for this conduct. 
Perry, when the heat of the moment was past, saw his error, 
and, with the frankness of his generous nature, offered what 
atonement was in his power. But the offended party refused 
all concessions. Aware that his subordinate intended to 
bring him before a court-martial. Perry, as a means of defence, 
filed charges against the officer. As the commodore would 
never have entered this accusation if a trial had not threat- 
ened himself, there is much force in the remark which has 
frequently been made, that Perry allowed his personal feel- 
ings sometimes to affect his official conduct. The behaviour 
of Perry in this instance was less generous than usual. In 
consequence of these mutual accusations, both parties were 
tried and sentenced to be reprimanded. The officer subse- 
quently challenged Perry, on which occasion the latter acted 
with more oiiivalry, declining to return his adversary's fire. 

The other controversy was, of even a more unpleasant 
character. It arose out of the fact that, at the battle of Lake 
Erie, tlue Lawrence had to bear, for a long time, nearly the 
whole of the enemy's fire, and that the Niagara did not come 
into action until nearly the close of the combat. This led 
finally to imputations derogatory to the courage of Captain 
Elliott, the commander of the Niagara. At first. Perry took 
no part in t-lie dispute. Indeed, in his despatches written 
just after the battle, he eulogized Elliott in strong terms. 
But officious friends, by representing that Elliott claimed the 
merit of the victory, and that he asserted Perry came on 
board the Niagara dispirited and ready to surrender, event- 
ually exasperated the commodore against his old lieutenant, 
until he allowed himself to indulge publicly in expressions 



' OLIVER n. PERRY. 397 

injurious to the latter. When Perry returned from the 
Mediterranean, a correspondence ensued between Elliott and 
him in reference to these remarks; and as the former avowed 
the injurious imputations, the latter challenged him. Perry, 
however, declined the meeting, alleging that he was about 
to prefer charges against his subordinate. The charges wxre 
made, but no proceedings were ever ordered by the departr 
ment. The reflections upon Elliott's courage clung to that 
unfortunate officer, however, to his death; and he went dow^n 
to the grave, labouring under imputations which Perry, in 
his natural mood, would have been too honest to cast upon 
another. This is not the' place to examine these charges in 
detail. It is enough to say, however, that the most import- 
ant one blamed Elliott for not coming to the aid of the 
Lawrence, an act wdiicli would have been impossible for him, 
without disobeying the order of Perry when going into 
battle, for every vessel to keep her place in the line. It is 
true that such orders may be disregarded in an emergency, 
and that such an emergency arose iif the battle of Lake 
Erie, — but though a subordinate exhibits higher qualities 
when he breaks, than when he obeys a command the reason 
for M^iich he sees has ceased, it is unjust to impute cowardice 
to him for refusing to assume the responsibility of violating 
orders. On the other hand the attempt to strip Perry of the 
merit of the victory was as unjust as it proved to be idle. 

In March, 1819, Perry was again summoned to active 
service. His new command was destined for the regions 
about the equator, where our trade was in a precarious 
position, and where an officer was required who could play 
the diplomatist as well as the mere commodore. The selec- 
tion of Perry for this important post proved the high estimate 
whicli the nation had formed of his abilities : an opinion not 
incorrect, since, where his personal resentments did not blind 
him, his judgment was singularly impartial and wise. On 
the 7th of June, he left Annapolis in the John Adams 



398 OLIVER H. PERRY. 

twenty-four, and reached Barbadoes early in July. His 
duties requiring him to visit Angostura, the capital of Vene- 
zuela, he proceeded to the mouth of the Orinoco, where, 
shifting his pennant to the Nonsuch schooner, which had 
sailed in company, he despatched the ship to Trinidad, and 
began to ascend the river. For twenty days he remained 
at Angostura, at the most fatal season of the year. The 
yellow-fever soon appeared on board the schooner, and now 
the commodore made every effort to depart. On the 15th 
of August, he left the town, and began to drop down the 
rive As yet. Perry had escaped- the disease, but, on the 17th 
while still in the Orinoco, he took his fowling-piece, and 
embarking in his gig, amused himself along the margin of 
the stream. That night the schooner reached the mouth of 
the river, and as she rode to the current in a stiff breeze, the 
seas occasionally washed over her quarter, and, penetrating 
to the little cabin where Perry slept, wetted him thoroughly. 
The being so long in an infected atmosphere, the hours spent 
the preceding day in an open boat, and this fatal exposure 
in his sleep, brought on an attack of the epidemic, and he 
woke, towards morning, in a cold chill. 

The commodore was of a full habit of body, and therefore 
entertained little hope from the first. The loss of blood 
created nausea, and hence the usual remedy had to be 
abandoned; and this soon lessened the first favourable 
expectations of those around him. Yet his own fortitude 
never deserted him. At times he spoke of his family, for he 
was a man peculiarly alive to the domestic affections, and at 
times sunk into feverish slumbers, during which he muttered 
incoherently. For five days, he lingered, occasionally 
appearing to rally, but soon sinking again under the tei:rible 
power of the disease. By the 23d of August, the Nonsuch 
was close in with Trinidad, where the John Adams awaited 
her. Lying on the floor of his narrow cabin, with a burning 
sun pouring its vertical beams overhead, parched witli fever, 



OLIVER H. PERRY. 399 

and racked with hiccough, such Avas the closing scene of the 
hero's life. At noon of this day, the fatal black vomit ap- 
peared, sure precursor of speedy dissolution. The dying 
man, satisfied that his end drew near, now made a verbal 
will in favour of his wife, and then desired to be left alone. 
Soon after, a boat from the John Adams arrived. When the 
lieutenant entered his presence, Perry, who had sunk away, 
revived, and inquired with interest after the health of his 
crew. But in a few minutes, his mind wandered, and, 
murmuring incoherent words, he breathed his last, at half-past 
three. Thus perished, far from his home, and without a 
single comfort which his condition demanded, one of the 
brightest ornaments of the American navy. 

The character of Perry will appear from what we have 
written. He was of a frank and generous disposition, and 
had the foibles as well as virtues of men of that stamp. He 
was warm-heared, impulsive, and affectionate, usually gentle 
in deportment, but quick in temper, and, when angered, capa- 
ble of doing acts unworthy of his nature. He took strong 
prejudices, both of liking and disliking, — and was as warm a 
friend as he was a bitter enemy. His prepossessions were 
generally, however, in behalf of those he met, and this, added 
to his cheerful manner and elegant appearance, made him 
almost universally a favourite. In stature, he was slightly 
above the middle height. His frame was compact, muscular 
and well formed; his countenance one of unusual manly 
beauty, and his carriage at once graceful and dignified. He is 
said to have been gifted with a peculiarly clear and powerful 
voice, which rendered him, to use the words of a fellow-seaman, 
" a brilliant deck officer." His courage was heroic, and his 
skill in his profession great. As a father and a husband, few 
men have been so much loved. 

The remains of Perry were '^ first interred at Trinidad, 
but subsequently they were transferred, in a ship of war, to 
Rhode Island, where they now repose. 




SHIP IN i. GALS. 



JESSE DUNCAN ELLIOTT. 



The controversy which raged for so many years between 
the friends of Elliott and those of Perry, in reference to the 
battle of Lake Erie, was not without injury to the former. 
It is always dangerous to assail a popular idol, nor is Elliott 
the first person who discovered this melancholy truth. Im- 
partial history, however, must record, that thou'^h Elliott 
was not entitled to the chief merit of the victory on Lake 
Erie, he contributed his share towards it, by bringing up the 
gun-boats at a critical period of the action. For this, and 
other deeds of courage, he merits a place in this series. 

Elliott was born in Maryland, the native State of so many 
commodores, in 1789. His original destination was the bar, 
but while prosecuting his studies preparatory to that profes- 
sion, the war with Tripoli broke out, and his boyish emuhv 
400 



4 



JESSE DUNCAZSr ELLIOTT. 403 

tion being excited by the deeds of Decatur, Somers, and 
Stewart, he became inflamed with a passion for the navy. 
His friends accordingly obtained for him, in I8O4, the warrant 
of a midshipman. His first cruise was made to the Mediter- 
ranean, in the Essex thirty-two, Captain James Barron. He 
remained abroad in this vessel for more than two years, re- 
turning to the United States in 1807. He was now trans- 
ferred to the Chesapeake, whither he accompanied his old 
commander, and was present in that ship during her unfor- 
tunate combat with the Leopard. This was Elliott's first 
action, if action it can be called, and was ominous of a career 
never very fortunate, and frequently clouded by undeserved 
obloquy. 

His next appearance before the public, however, was of a 
more favourable character. Before the war of 1812 began, 
he had risen ,to the rank of lieutenant, and, almost immedi- 
ately after hostilities commenced, was ordered to the lakes, 
under Commodore Chauncey. That ofiicej: at once despatched 
Elliott to Lake Erie, where the young lieutenant soon 
signalized himself by a brilliant exploit. Two armed British 
brigs having come down the lake and anchored under Fort 
Erie, Elliott formed the bold design of cutting them out. 
Accordingly, two large boats, containing about fifty men each, 
accompanied by one or two smaller boats, all under the com- 
mand of Elliott, pulled out of Buffalo Creek, on the evening 
of the 7th of October, 1812, advancing silently some distance 
up the lake, so as to gain a position above the enemy. It 
was past midnight when Elliott, after this circuit, approached 
the foe. He reserved for himself the Detroit, the larger 
of the two brigs, sending the other boat forward to attack 
the Caledonia, which lay in the advance. As the first 
boat crossed the bow of the Detroit, the British* took the 
alarm, and consequently, when Elliott dashed up, he was 
received with vollej^s of musT[i;etry. Nothing daunted, how- 
ever, both boats pulled rapidly ahead. The first soon reached 

27 



404 JESSE DUNCAN ELLIOTT. 

the Caledonia, but when the grapnels were thrown, one of 
them missed, and the boat falling astern, the result hung for a 
moment in doubt. The Caledonia, nevertheless, was captured 
finally, chiefly by the decision and boldness of Captain 
Tonson, of the army, who was in her. The boat which 
Elliott commanded met with no rebuff, but was laid promptly 
alongside the Detroit, when Elliott leaped on board, followed 
by Lieutenant Roach, of the army, and her crew. The 
British captain met the assailants with the greatest resolution, 
and aimed a blow at Elliott, which fortunately struck his 
hat, instead of his head. The latter, in return, nearly cleft 
the skull of his opponent. With the fall of the British 
leader resistance ceased, and the two prizes were immediately' 
carried off. As this was the first success obtained by either 
nation on the lakes, it brought the name of Elliott promi- 
nently before the public ; and Congress rewarded the youthful 
victor with a sword, engraved with suitable emblems and 
devices. He was also promoted, over a number of senior 
lieutenants, to the rank of a master commandant. 

Elliott now returned to Lake Ontario, where he received 
the command of the Madison, the commodore's flag-ship. In 
the attack on York, on the 27th of April, 1813, he volunteer- 
ed to go on board one of the schooners and lead them into 
action, his own vessel drawing too much water to approach 
. the required position. His conduct on this occasion procured 
the favourable mention of Commodore Chauncey in the latter's 
despatches. "The schooners," says this document, "beat 
gallantly up to their stations, and there opened a heavy can- 
nonade upon the enemy, which did great execution, and very 
much contributed to their future destruction." Elliott remain- 
ed with Chauncey until the fleet which had been building on 
Lake Erie was completed, when he was ordered to repair thi- 
ther, and take command of the Niagara, the second ship in the 
squadron of Perry. We have already given, at considerable 
length, in the biography of Perry, a narrative of that event- 



JESSE DUNCAN ELLIOTT. 4 OS 

ful day. In the order of battle, as finally arranged, the 
Lawrence led the attack, then followed some smaller vessels 
of the squadron, and then the Niagara, — and Perry's last 
signal, as he dashed forward, was for each vessel to maintain 
her place in the line. Th^ British flag-ship was particularly 
efficient in long guns, while the Lawrence was armed with 
carronades, a fact of which the enemy promply took advan- 
tage, to begin the battle before the American ship could 
approach sufficiently near for her pieces to bear. In conse- 
quence of this, and of the concentration of the fire of almost 
the entire British squadron on the Lawrence, that vessel had 
to sustain the whole fury of the battle unassisted for some 
time, and was reduced almost to a wreck. In this perilous 
crisis. Perry either forgot to signal the Niagara to leave the 
place assigned her and come to his assistance, or disdained 
to do it; and Elliott, for a while, seems to have hesitated 
between disobeying orders or hastening to the aid of his 
superior. At last, Elliott determined to push ahead at every 
hazard. But the wind, which had now become light, delayed 
his advance, and before he could approach the Lawrence, the < 
latter was no longer seaworthy. It was now that Perry, 
abandoning the wreck, boarded the Niagara. On mounting 
the deck of the latter vessel, he pointed to the gun-boats, 
which were far behind, and declared that their failure to 
come into close action hazarded the success of the day; on 
which Elliott, volunteering to bring them up, embarked in an 
open boat, courageously pulled down the whole length of 
the enemy's line, and, by bringing the gun-boats into speedy 
use, ' assisted materially to decide the fortunes of the battle. 
In his despatches, written immediately after the victory. 
Perry testifies to Elliott's bravery in the most unequivocal 
terms. "At half-past two," he says, "the wind springing up. 
Captain Elliott was enabled to bring his vessel, the Niagara, 
gallantly into close action. J immediately went on board of 
her, when he anticipated my wish, by volunteering to bring 



406 JESSE DUNCAN ELLIOTT. 

the schooners, which had been kept astern by the lightness 
of the wind, into close action." And again : " The smaller 
vessels at this time having got within grape and canister 
distance, under the direction of Captain Elliott, and keeping 
up a well-directed fire, the two ships, a brig, and a schooner 
surrendered, a schooner and sloop making a vain attempt to 
escape." And in addition: "Of Captain Elliott, already so 
well known to the government, it would be almost superflu- 
ous to speak. In this action he evinced his characteristic 
bravery and judgment, and, since the*close of the action, has 
given me the most able and essential assistance." These 
unequivocal terms prove that, at the period of the action, 
Perry not only acknowledged the merits of Elliott in the 
action, but was desirous to bring them prominently before 
the department. In a little while, however, all this good 
feeling was changed. The aspersions of others, at first 
vaguely whispered, then openly proclaimed, assailed the 
reputation of Elliott, traduced him to Perry, and finally 
alienated the latter from him for life. Within a month after 
4he battle, the conduct of Elliott had been censured freely to 
the volunteers in Harrison's army, and a stab given to his 
good name from which it took years to recover. The delay 
of the Niagara in coming to the assistance of the Lawrence 
was the cause assigned for the charge of cowardice which 
was now urged against Elliott. But, not to speak of his 
courage, often exhibited before, and again displayed in 
pulling down the line to bring up the gun-boats, charity, 
if not mere justice, would account for the delay of the 
Niagara, first by the commodore's orders, and subsequently 
by the failure of the wind. That Elliott was not censurable 
for want of bravery, at least, is proved by the verdict of the 
court-martial in 1815. 

His real guilt was this. Emergencies continually 
arise in battles, both on sea and land, when the original 
aspect of affairs becomes so changed, that commands issued 



JESSE DUNCAN ELLIOTT. 407 

under the past state of things are no longer the wisest, and 
when a bold and able officer will not hesitate to assume the 
responsibility of disobeying his directions, and acting, perhaps, 
entirely different from what he has been ordered. The 
neglect to make the most of such critical moments determines 
the difference between the officer of mere talent and the 
officer of genius. In the battle of Lake Erie, such a crisis 
occurred. The concentration of the enemy's almost entire 
fire on the Lawrence, and that, too, before she was within 
range for her carronades, produced a condition of affairs 
which Perry had not anticipated, and should have corre- 
sjDondingly changed the whole tactic of battle. In such an 
emergency, an officer of genius would have dashed forward 
and shared the hottest of the fight with his commodore. 
The design of the British was evident. They aimed to 
destroy the flag-ship at every cost, imagining that the re- 
mainder of the squadron, after so great a disaster, would 
strike immediately. The effort of the Americans, therefore, 
should have been to frustrate this aim, by hastening to the 
support of the flag-ship, and compelling the enemy to divider 
his fire. Elliott did not do this as promptly as a Nelson, a 
Decatur, or a Perry would have done under similar circum- 
stances; but held back until the Lawrence became so crippled, 
that there could be no longer any doubt of the absolute ne- 
cessity of altering the order of battle. The error of Elliott, 
if error it can be called, was in this, and not in any want of 
courage. If he had possessed the instinct of a great captain, 
he would have anticipated the dilemma in which the Law- 
rence was placed, and, by speedy succour, prevented it. 
Talent waits till a disaster is at hand : genius beholds it afar 
off. The conduct of Elliott was that of a brave man, but 
one gifted with but ordinary abilities. The conduct of Perry, 
in retrieving the battle after it was lost, by the single but 
heroic act of transferring his flag to the Niagara, was that of 
genius, which always sees, as by a flash of lightning, not only 



408 JESSE DUNCAN ELLIOTT. 

the best physical measures to be adopted for victory, but the 
most effective moral ones also. 

When Perry retired from Lake Erie, after his great 
victory, Elliott succeeded him in command of the squadron, 
remaining until April, 1814, when he returned to Ontario. 
Here, in the brig Sylph, he attacked a British brig, that had 
been intercepted by the American fleet, compelling the enemy 
to blow her up in order to prevent her capture. For this 
act Elliott received the commendation of Chauncey. On the 
decline of hostilities on the lakes, he applied for a command 
at sea, and was appointed to the Ontario sloop-of-war, then 
fitting out at Baltimore ; but peace being declared before this 
vessel could leave port, he obtained no further laurels. The 
Ontario sailed, however, to the Mediterranean, as one of the 
squadron to exact reparation from the Barbary Powers. On 
his return from this voyage Elliott remained unemployed 
until 1817, when he was appointed one of the commissioners 
to examine the coast, in order to select the situations best 
suited for permanent dock-yards and fortifications. In this 
office he continued until 1824. In the mean time, his contro- 
versy with Perry occurred. In this period, also, in 1818, 
he was promoted to the rank of captain. In 1825, he was 
appointed to the Cyane, and despatched to the coasts of 
Brazil and Buenos Ayres. He returned from this cruise in 
1827, and remained on shore until 1829, when he was select- 
ed to command the West India squadron. He continued 
absent, on this station, until 1832, with the exception of a 
short interval, in 1831, when, happening to be at Norfolk, he 
was summoned to assist in quelling the slave insurrection. 
His spirited conduct on this occasion won the official appro- 
bation of the President, and obtained a complimentary 
resolution from the Legislature of Virginia. 

In the autumn of 1832, when South Carolina threatened 
civil war, Elliott was ordered to lie off* Charleston, with a 
competent naval force. In the spring of 1833, the peril in 



JESSE DUNCAN ELLIOTT. 409 

the South being over, he was relieved from his disagreeable 
post, and assigned to the command of the Charlestown navy- 
yard, in Massachusetts. In 1835, he was appointed to the 
Constitution, and despatched to France, to bring home Mr. 
Livingston, the American minister in Paris. Subsequently, 
Elliott sailed for the Mediterranean, in the same ship, to 
assume command of the squadron in that sea; and on this 
duty he was employed for several years. On his return from 
this voyage, he was arraigned before a court-martial, on seve- 
ral charges of severity and harshness in discipline, and on a 
charge of incumbering the Constitution, without authority, 
with animals intended to improve the breed of like animals in 
the United States. He was found guilty on one of the 
charges of severity, and on that relating to the animals, and 
sentenced to be suspended from the navy for four years, and 
to be deprived of his pay during two of these. The President, 
however, remitted the last part of the sentence, and subse- 
quently, before the term of suspension had elapsed, restored 
him to the service. In December, 1844, the month following 
his restoration, Elliott was appointed to the Philadelphia 
navy-ya>d. He was now, however, broken in health, and on 
the 10th of December, 1845, he died. 

In manner, Elliott was comparatively rough, and he en- 
joyed, besides, an unfortunate facility for making enemies, 
two circumstances which contributed to his unpopularity, and 
assisted to darken the close of his life. He was also a severe 
disciplinarian. He possessed, however, many warm friends, 
for whom he was always ready to make sacrifices. As a 
husband and father, he was much esteemed. In person, he 
was above the middle height, with a robust figure, and a 
carriage that was easy, though scarcely graceful. He was 
unquestionably brave, and not without ability; but has no 
claim to rank in the first order of naval captains. 




MELANCTHON T. WOOLSET. 



After Perry, Chauncey, Elliott, and Macdonougli, no 
officer was so distinguished on .the lakes, as Melancthon 
Taylor Woolsey. For nearly fifteen years, he was actively 
employed in that quarter of the Union, and always with 
honour to himself and credit to his country. 

Woolsey was born in the year 1782, of respectable parent- 
age, in the State of New York. His father had been an officer 
in the war of Independence, arid subsequently resided at 
Plattsburgh, on Lake Champlain, where he held the office of 
collector under the federal government. The son was 
intended for the bar, and had actually begun his professional 
studies, when, in 1800, he received the offer of a midshipman's 
warrant in the American marine. The tastes of the young 
man being more naval than forensic, he gratefully accepted 
410 



MELANCTHON T. WOOLSEY; 413 

the commission, and was immediately ordered to the Adams 
twenty-eight, then about to sail for the West Indies. 

During this voyage, no less than five French privateers 
were captured, so that the cruise formed an exceltent school 
for the young men serving in the Adams. Woolsey was 
conspicuous for his attention to duty, for his conciliatory 
deportment, and for the quickness with which he acquired 
the details of his new profession. On the return of the 
Adams, he joined the Boston twenty-eight, and sailed in her 
for the Mediterranean. He remained abroad, serving in differ- 
ent vessels, until 1803, when he was ordered back to the 
United States. He thus, unfortunately, missed the opportu- 
nity of serving under Preble, and partaking in the glory of 
the Tripolitan war ; a fact the more to be regretted as his 
courage and adventurous spirit would have highly distin- 
guished him, if a chance had presented itself He was 
present, however, in one or two affairs of note, especially 
when Porter attacked the wheat-boats on shore, and when 
the abortive attempt was made to cannonade the town. 

Woolsey next served in the Essex thirty-two. This ship 
sailed for the Mediterranean in the summer of 1804, arriving 
before Tripoli soon after the explosion of the Intrepid ketch. 
The Essex subsequently formed one of a fleet of thirteen 
American men-of-war, which appeared before Tunis and 
dictated the terms of an indemnity to the regency there. 
Woolsey now received an acting appointment as lieutenant. 
The following year, when the Essex returned to the United 
States, Woolsey, with most of her officers, removed to the 
Constitution, and remained in the Mediterranean. Woolsey 
continued in this favourite vessel, until 1807, when, being 
relieved, she came back to the United States. Her return 
was delayed for several months by the attack on the Chesa- 
peake, which vessel had been appointed to take her place. 
This produced much dissatisfaction among the crew of the 
Constitution, whose terms of service had long since expired, 



414 MELANCTHON T. WOOLSEY. 

and finally induced them to break out into a mutiny, which 
was only quelled by the decided conduct of Woolsey and 
the other lieutenants. During this cruise, Woolsey, accord- 
ing to his biographer, greatly improved himself, not only in 
his profession, but in his mind generally. ^ 

When the Constitution was paid off, Woolsey repaired to 
Washington, where he was employed in preparing a system 
of signals. As the probability of a war with England occu- 
pied at that time much of the attention of the government, 
it was resolved, as a measure of precaution, to provide for 
the defence of Lakes Ontario and Champlain. Accordingly, 
a brig of sixteen guns was ordered to be constructed on the 
former lake, and two gun-boats on the latter. Woolsey, who 
had gained the confidence of the department during his 
residence. at Washington, was appointed to superintend the 
construction of these vessels, and, subsequently, to command 
them. Delegating his duties on Champlain to Lieutenant 
Haswell, Woolsey himself repaired to Ontario, where, at the 
port of Oswego, in 1808, he laid the keel of the first armed 
vessel of** the United States that ever floated on that inland 
sea. The shipwright who accompanied him was Henry 
Eckford, afterwards celebrated, both in the new and old 
worlds, for his skill in naval architecture. In the spring of 
1809, the vessel was launched, and the name of the Oneida 
bestowed on her. Her construction led to the building of the 
Royal George, a vessel of superior size, by the British, and 
from these vessels began the squadrons which, a few years 
later, contended for the mastery of Lake Ontario. 

In the summer of 1809, Woolsey made an excursion in 
his launch, and entered the Niagara river, being the first 
naval officer to display the American ensign in tho^ waters. 
The war of 1812 found him still in command on the lakes, 
but with no force except the Oneida, while the enemy had a 
squadron of several sail, one of which, the Royal George, 
was capable of mastering two such vessels as the brig. 



MELANCTHON T. WOOLSEY. 415 

Meantime, the naval station had been removed from Oswego 
to Sackett's Harbour. Here, on the 19 th of July, the British 
squadron, numbering five sail, made its appearance. Woolsey 
immediately made sail in the Oneida,, hoping to escape into 
the open lake; but soon finding this impossible, he returned 
to harbour, and, landing all the guns on the off side of the 
brig, placed them in battery on the bank, with his vessel 
directly under. He also placed a long thirty-two on a point 
of land above the navy-yard, and, as soon as the enemy came 
within range, opened a spirited fire. The British now sent 
in a message for Woolsey to surrender, which he declined, 
and immediately a cannonading ensued that lasted two hours. 
In the end, the enemy, though so much superior in force, 
hauled off, leaving to the young lieutenant the victory. Soon 
after. Commodore Chauncey arrived on the lakes, with orders 
to build more vessels and assume the supreme command. 
In the attack on Kingston, in the ensuing November, Woolsey 
led his old vessel, the Oneida, and gallantly carried her 
through the day. During this entire season, he continued 
second in command on the lake; but, with the opening of 
spring, additional officers were sent to Ontario, many of them 
superior in rank to Woolsey, and accordingly he no longer 
could play so prominent a part in affairs. 

He continued, however, actively employed. He was 
present in the attack on York, and also at the assault on the 
batteries of Fort George. Immediately after this last enter- 
prise, he was promoted to the rank of commander. As older 
officers and post-captains were only sent to the lakes to 
assume charge of the new ships,- Woolsey had remained 
through all in the Oneida; but now, with his new commission, 
he was transferred to a large and swift schooner, the Sylph, 
mounting four heavy pivot-guns amidships. He was in this 
vessel, on the 28th of September, when Chauncey brought Z' 
the English squadron, for the first time, to close action. The 
battle was contested with spirit, and would probably have 



416 MELANCTHON T. WOOLSET. 

resulted in a victory for the Americans, if the Oneida and 
Sylph had been able to come up in time, or if Sir James Yeo 
had not sought refuge under Burlington Heights. The 
vessel of Woolsey had a schooner in tow, which accounted 
for his not arriving sooner on the scene. The armament of 
the Sylph, on this occasion, proved so ineffective that, on her 
return to port, it was altered to broadside guns. A few days 
later, Woolsey compensated himself for the laurels missed in 
this action, by capturing two gun-vessels belonging to the 
enemy, with a number of troops on board. With this last 
affair the service of the year terminated. 

Early in 1814, Woolsey was despatched to Oswego, with 
orders to transport a quantity of guns and cables to Sackett's 
Harbour by water, a duty of great delicacy, for the British, 
having increased their fleet, now held the command of the 
lake. He was engaged in this service when the enemy made 
a descent on Oswego. Woolsey caused a report to reach the 
British that the direction of the stores was to be changed: 
he sent as many guns and cables over the falls as he had 
boats to carry them in, and immediately descended the river. 
Availing himself of a dark night, he now went out with a 
brigade of nineteen heavy boats, and by morning found 
himself at the mouth of Big Salmon Kiver. Proceeding 
onwards, he entered Big Sandy Creek. In the mean time, the 
British, discovering his retreat, pursued him with a strong 
party, accompanied by three gunrboats. The enemy entered 
the river confidently, throwing grape and canister into the 
bushes ahead of them, from their carronades. While Wool- 
sey occupied himself with discharging his guns and cables. 
Major Appling, who, with a body of riflemen, had accom- 
panied him as a guard, prepared an ambush, and as the 
English approached, met them with such a destructive fire, 
that, in the end, their entire number was captured. In 
consequence of this gallant exploit, the stores safely reached 
Sackett's Harbour, where, being used in fitting the new 



MELANCTHON T. WOOLSEY. 417 

sliips for sea, the command of the lake once more reverted 
to the Americans. Woolsey was now appointed to the Jones, 
a large brig of twenty-two guns, in* command of which he 
continued until the close of the war. 

When peace was declared, most of the officers who had 
served on the lakes, as well as their crews, were transferred 
to the seaboard; but Woolsey was long retained in a species 
of service with which he had now grown familiar. Vessel 
after vessel was dismantled, yet still he remained on Ontario. 
The command, however, was an important one, for there was 
a large amount of property to be guarded. In 1817, Woolsey 
was promoted to the rank of captain. In time, the armed 
ships on the lakes were gradually broken up, until, at last, 
the station was no longer worthy of an officer of rank. 
Accordingly, in 1823, Woolsey was relieved from his com- 
mand, and appointed to the Constellation thirty-eight, 
destined for the West Indies. On board this vessel. Commo- 
dore Warrington hoisted his broad pennant. When the 
cruise was up and the Constellation paid off, Woolsey received 
the command of the Pensacola navy-yard. Subsequently, 
he was selected to command the Brazil squadron. This, the 
first time on which he hoisted a commodore's flag, was the 
last occasion on which he served, afloat or ashore. His 
health had now begun to decline. In 1838, not long after 
his return, he died. 

In personal appearance, Woolsey was prepossessing, 
though not perhaps handsome. He was of medium height, 
robust and athletic in frame. His countenance was pleasing. 
In manner he was frank without being rude, though almost 
too familiar sometimes for an officer. Among his equals, he 
was the life of social intercourse. As a seaman, he held a 
high rank. 




^ 




THE ESSEX. 



DAVID PORTER. 



If we were called on to select the name which, next after 
that of Decatur, represented, in our opinion, every high 
attribute of courage, we should unhesitatingly choose that of 
David Porter. His whole career^ from first to last, was such 
a blaze of heroism, that it is difficult to award pre-eminence 
to any one portion of it. But, perhaps, that period of his 
life which he was accustomed, himself, to regard with the 
most pride, and which, above all others, certainly exhibited 
the most splendid results, — we mean the memorable cruise in 
the Pacific, — was the part of his career for which he will be 
generally celebrated in future times. In fact, in reading the 
narrative of this expedition, we almost, at times, imagine 
ourselves perusing a romance. The unparalleled success 
418 



DAVID PORTER. 421 

that everywhere attended the adventurous commander; the 
creation of a fleet out of the captured vessels of the enemy, 
and the employment of that fleet, subsequently, against the 
foe; the discovery of virgin islands, hitherto unknowij, in 
the midst of the boundless Pacific, with the pictures of uncoii- 
taminated savage life found there; — these and other incidents 
of that astonishing cruise, fascinate the reader, bringing back 
in imagination the times when Drake carried terror to the 
Spanish settlements on the western coasts of America, when 
Selkirk wandered over the uninhabited island of Juan Fer- 
nandez, when the keel of Magellan first ploughed the waters 
of an unknown and apparently illimitable ocean. 

David Porter was the oldest son of Captain David Porter, 
a naval officer of merit in the war of Independence, and was 
born at Boston, on the first of February, 1780. At the 
declaration of peace, in 1783, the family removed to Balti- 
more, where Captain Porter received the command of the 
revenue cutter, the Active. The lad, meantime, grew up 
delicate in body, but of an active and indomitable spirit. 
He would sit for hours listening to anecdotes of the war, 
narrated by his father, his breath coming quick and his eye 
kindling in sympathy with every deed of more than ordinary 
daring. The eagerness with which the boy hung upon his 
father's words, inspired the parent with a wish to educate 
the child for his own profession, a purpose which was finally 
carried into execution, notwithstanding the entreaties of the 
mother, who feared the effects which the rough usage of the 
sea might produce on her son's tender constitution. At the 
age of sixteen, accordingly, young David sailed with his 
father for the West Indies, in the schooner Eliza. 

Almost from the very first, the lad was placed in circum- 
stances requiring presence of mind equally with bravery, 
and, in every instance, he acquitted himself honourably. 
While at the port of Jeremie, St. Domingo, in his first voyage, 
a press-gang endeavoured to board the schooner in search of 



422 DAYID PORTER. 

men; but Captain Porter resisting the attempt, a bloody af- 
fray ensued, in which the Lad shared a part. The assailants 
were finally beaten off, though not until young David had 
narrowly escaped death, a sailor having been shot down by his 
side. During his second voyage, in which he served as mate 
of his ship, he experienced even greater peril, combined with 
singular vicissitudes. Twice he was impressed by the British, 
and twice he effected his escape. At last, destitute of funds, 
and even wanting necessary clothing, he reached an Ameri- 
can vessel, homeward bound, on which he shipped as a com- 
mon sailor. The passage was made in the dead of winter, 
and exhibited an almost constant tempest. Every spray 
that broke over the ship was instantaneously changed into 
ice. The delicate frame of Porter, still a mere lad in years, 
might have been expected to sink under the fatigue and ex- 
posure ; but destiny, reserving him for higher ends and loftier 
purposes, watched over the young hero, and conducted him 
in safety to his friends. 

The establishment of a national marine now turned the 
young man's attention in that direction ; and, in a few weeks 
after his return, he solicited and obtained a midshipman's 
warrant. The Constellation, Captain Truxtun, was then 
about to sail on her immortal cruise, and to her young 
Porter was appointed. In the action with L'Insurgente, our 
hero was stationed in the fore-top. Soon after the action 
began, the fore-topmast was badly wounded near the lower 
cap. Porter immediately hailed the deck, but the noise 
of the battle drowning his voice, he finally assumed the 
responsibilities of cutting the stoppers and lowering the yard. 
For thus saving the spar, he received the thanks of the 
commodore. When the Constellation was transferred to 
Barron, Porter, solely in consequence of his good conduct, 
w^as advanced to the rank of lieutenant. He was shortly 
after transferred to the schooner Experiment, Captain Manley , 
then about to sail for the West Indies. During this cruise, the 



DAVID PORTER. 423 

young officer participated in a long and obstinate engagement 
between the schooner and a number of brigand barges, in the 
Bight of Leogane ; and here, as on all former occasions, he 
exhibited a hardihood and daring in striking contrast to his 
comparatively small stature and feeble frame. He was, in 
consequence of these qualities, already a noted man; and 
when a vessel was to be cut out, to Porter was generally con- 
fided the undertaking. Attracted by his gallantry, Commo- 
dore Talbot, then in command of the station, resolved to 
bestow on him a separate command, and, accordingly, 
manning the Amphitrite, a pilot-boat schooner, he placed 
her in the charge of Porter. With this little craft, which 
mounted but five small swivels, and had a crew of only 
fifteen men, the young hero made sail in pursuit of an 
enemy. 

He had not been long in command, when he met a French 
privateer, mounting a long twelve-pounder and several 
swivels, and having a crew of forty men. The enemy, in 
addition, was accompanied by a prize ship, and a large barge, 
with thirty men, armed with swivels. Undaunted by the 
excessive disparity of force, Porter resolved to attack the 
privateer. Accordingly, he bore down on the foe, and laid 
his vessel alongside of her. A shot soon injured the rudder 
of his schooner, so tfiat she became unmanageable, but, 
resolute to conquer in despite of obstacles, he maintained the 
fight. For a time, the result was doubtful. The enemy, 
confident in their numbers, resisted bravely, and even formed 
the expectation of reducing the Americans. But the disci- 
pline of the man-of-war, combined with the heroism which 
Porter infused into his crew, finally triumphed, and the 
French privateer, after a bloody and protracted resistance, 
struck. The loss of the foe, in this action, was seven killed, 
and fifteen wounded, a large proportion, considering the 
numbers engaged. On the side of the Americans, several 
were wounded, but none killed. The schooner, however, 



424 DAYID PORTER. 

suffered much damage. Not only the privateer herself, but 
her prize also were captured : the barge, however, succeeded 
in escaping. The courage exhibited by Porter, in attacking 
a foe so greatly his superior, gained him great applause. 
Already, in popular estimation, he was looked upon as one 
whom no odds could intimidate, no perils alarm. 

On his return to the United States, Porter was transferred 
to the Experiment, Captain Charles Stewart. The West 
Indies was now again the scene of his exploits. The Experi- 
ment, during her cruise, rendered valuable protection to 
American commerce among the islands. On several occasions, 
French privateers were engaged, and always successfully. 
In short, Stewart and his lieutenant soon become the terror 
of these marauders. While on this cruise, the Experiment, 
when off Saona Island one morning, discovered a vessel on 
jthe reef; and on approaching her, a crowd of persons was 
seen on board. Porter, at the instigation of his superior, 
immediately started in the boats to the relief of the sulSerers. 
With much difficulty, in consequence of the heavy surf 
breaking on the reef, the shipwrecked individuals, to the 
number of sixty-seven, principally women and children, were 
safely transferred to the Experiment. The rescued persons 
proved to be inhabitants of St. Domingo, flying from the 
siege of that city by the blacks ; and they had been teti days 
on the rock, without any thijig to eat or drink. The next 
day, the Exj)eriment reached St. Domingo, when the sufferers 
were restored to their friends. Here the enthusiasm in favour 
of Stewart and his lieutenant was unbounded. The Presi- 
dent of St. Domingo, Don Joaquin Garcia, as the best means 
of expressing the general gratitude, wrote a letter to the 
executive of the United States, President Jefferson, com- 
mending the conduct of the Experiment, her officers, and 
crew, in the warmest terms. 

In 1801, when the depredations of Tripoli determined our 
government to send a squadron to the Mediterranean, Porter, 



DAYID PORTER. 425 

as first lieutenant of the Enterprise, sailed to that quarter of 
the globe. On the 1st of August, while running for Tripoli, 
the Enterprise captured a corsair of fourteen guns and eighty 
men. The action was desperately fought, the enemy losing, 
in killed and wounded, no less than fifty. As the instructions 
to Lieutenant Commandant Sterrctt, the principal officer of the 
Experiment, forbade him carrying the priy.e in. Porter was 
directed to take possession of, and dismantle her. This was 
accordingly done. After a tedious voj^age, the corsair reached 
Tripoli, when her commander, notwithstanding his wounds, 
was punished for his surrender by being placed on a jackass, 
paraded through the streets, and subsequently bastinadoed. 
The terror created by this severity, combining with the 
prowess of the Americans, disinclined the Tripolitan seamen 
to ship in the Bey's corsairs, and the consequence was, that 
though the war lasted three years, few armed vessels, after 
this, ventured to sea. Porter remained in the Mediterranean, 
actively engaged against the enemy, from this time until the 
capture of the frigate Philadelphia, of which he was first 
lieutenant, at the time she fell, so unfortunately, into the 
hands of the Tripohttsns. 

In our biography of Commodore Bainbridge, we have de- 
scribed at large this unfortunate event. The conduct of 
Porter, during the imprisonment that followed, was such as 
became him as an officer and a man. A memoir of him, in 
the Analectic Magazine, says: "He never suffered himself 
for a moment to sink into despondency; but supported the 
galling indignities and hardships of his situation with 
equanimity, and even cheerfulness. A seasonable supply of 
books served to beguile the hours of imprisonment, and 
enabled him even to turn them to advantage. He closely 
applied himself to the study of ancient and modern history, 
biography, the French language, and drawing; in which art, 
so useful to a seaman, he made himself a considerable pro- 



426 DAVID rORTER. 

ficient. He also sedulously cultivated the theory of his 
profession, and improved the junior officers by his frequent 
instructions; representing the manoeuvres of fleets in battle 
by means pf small boards ingeniously arranged. He was 
active in promoting any plan of labour or amusement that 
could ameliorate the situation or dispel the gloomy reflec- 
tions of his companions. By these means, captivity was 
robbed of its heaviest evils, that dull monotony that wearies 
the spirits, and that mental inactivity that engenders melan- 
choly and hypochondria. An incident, which occurred 
during his confinement, deserves to be mentioned, as being 
highly creditable to Lieutenant Porter. Under the rooms 
occupied by the officers, was a long dark passage, through 
which the American sailors, who were employed in public 
labour, frequently passed to different parts of the castle. 
Their conversation being repeatedly heard as they passed 
to and fro, some one made a small hole in the wall, to com- 
municate with them. For some days, a constant intercourse 
was kept up, by sending down notes tied to a string. Some 
persons, however, indiscreetly entering into conversation 
with the seamen, were overheard, and information immedi- 
ately carried to the Bashaw. In a few minutes, the bolts of 
the prison-door were heard to fly back with unwonted 
violence, and Sassi (chief officer of the castle) rushed 
furiously in. His features were distorted, and his voice 
almost inarticulate with passion. He demanded, in a vehe- 
ment tone, by whom or whose authority the walls had been 
opened; when Porter advanced, with a firm step and com- 
posed countenance, and replied, '1 alone am responsible.' 
He was abruptly and rudely hurried from the prison, and 
the gate was again closed. His generous self-devotion, 
while it commanded the admiration of his companions, 
heightened their anxiety for his fate ; apprehending some act 
of violence from the impetuous temper and absolute power 
of the Bashaw. Their fears, however, were appeased by the 



DAVID PORTER. 427 

return of Porter, after considerable detention; having been 
dismissed without any further severity, through the inter- 
cession of the minister, Mahomet Dghies, who had, on 
previous occasions, shown a friendly disposition towards the 
prisoners." 

When, on the conclusion of peace, the prisoners were re- 
stored to freedom. Porter embarked with his companions for 
Syracuse, glad to breathe once more the sweet air of liberty. 
At Syracuse, a court of inquiry, according to custom, was 
held over the loss of the Philadelj)hia; and Porter, with the 
other officers, were tried by this tribunal. An honourable 
acquittal, as expected, was the consequence. The Enter- 
prise being now in want of a commander, the post was 
tendered to Porter, who continued in this vessel, cruizing 
about the Mediterranean to protect our* commerce, until the 
year 1806. Many anecdotes are told of his daring and 
hardihood during this interval. Once, while the Enterprise 
was anchored in the port of Malta, an English sailor came 
alongside, and insulted the officers and crew by abusive 
language. Captain Porter, overhearing his scurrilous epithets, 
ordered a boatswain's mate to give him a flogging at the 
gangway. This well-merited chastisement excited the indig- 
nation of the governor of Malta, who gave orders that the 
forts should not permit the Enterprise to depart. No sooner 
was Captain Porter informed of this direction, than he 
prepared his vessel for action, weighed anchor, and, wdth 
lighted matches, and every man at his station, sailed between 
the batteries and departed unmolested. On another occasion, 
not long after, in passing through the Straits of Gibraltar, he 
was attacked by twelve Spanish gun-boats, who either 
mistook or pretended to mistake his vessel for a British brig. 
As soon, however, as he was able to approach them, they 
were assailed with such rapid and well-directed volleys, that 
they were glad to sheer off. This affair took 23lace in sight 
of Gibraltar, and in presence of several ships of the British 



428 • DAVID PORTER. 

navy : it was, therefore, a matter of notoriety, and gained 
him great appLause. 

Having been absent five years, Porter, in 1806, returned 
to the United States. Soon after, he married, and repaired 
to New Orleans to reside, government having appointed him 
to the command of the flotilla in that quarter. In the dis- 
charge of his avocations at this post, he exhibited unabated 
faithfulness, activity, and personal courage. It was the 
period of the embargo and non-intercourse acts, and his princi- 
pal duty consisted in enforcing these laws, so obnoxious to 
the commercial class especially; yet he performed his part 
with a prudence, but firmness, which gained him general ap- 
plause. During this period he performed an important service 
in ferreting out and capturing a pirate, a native of France, 
who, in a small, but well-armed schooner, had perpetrated 
numerous outrages on our trade. It was also while in com- 
mand at New Orleans that Porter lost his father; and what is 
remarkable, the parent was, at the time, an officer under the 
son. The veteran had lived to see his boy eminent in his 
own favourite profession. The climate of New Orleans 
disagreeing with the health of Captain Porter, as well as 
with that of his family, he solicited to be relieved, and, 
accordingly, was transferred to the Essex, one of the finest 
frigates in the navy. He was in the harbour of New York, 
refitting his vessel, when, in 1812, war was declared against 
Great Britain. With the energy that characterized him, he 
was immediately prepared for sea, and, on the 3d of July, 
sailed for Sandy Hook on his first cruise. 

Porter shaped his course southward, and made numerous 
prizes. Having destroyed the vessels, he received the pri- 
soners on board, and, in this way, continued for some time 
his depredations on the foe. The weather finally induced 
him to make for the north. He now encountered a fleet of 
merchantmen and transports, convoyed by the British frigate 
Minerva, and succeeded in cutting out of the squadron a ship 






DAVID PORTER. 429 

of some size, on board of which were one hundred and fifty 
soldiers. A few days subsequently, the Essex made a strange 
sail to windward. The frigate, at the moment, was disguised 
as a merchantman, having her gun-deck ports in, top-gallant- 
masts- housed, and sails trimmed in a slovenly manner. De- 
ceived by these appearances, the stranger came running down 
free, when the American ship hoisted her ensign and kept 
away, under short sail. This emboldened the stranger, who 
followed. Having obtained a position finally on the weather 
quarter of his chase, he began his fire, setting English colours. 
The Essex now knocked out her ports, and opened upon the 
enemy. Astonished at finding a frigate in their antagonist, 
the British crew, after receiving one or two discharges, 
deserted their quarters and ran below. In eight minutes 
after the Essex had begun to fire, the English shi^p struck. 
She proved to be his Britannic Majesty's ship Alert, Captain 
Laugharne, mounting twenty eighteen-pound carronades, and 
with a full crew. 

The Alert was the first man-of-war taken from the English 
in this contest. Her resistance was' feeble to the last degree, 
and can only be accounted for by her surprise. It was not 
to be expected, certainly, that a ship carrying eighteen-pound 
carronades could successfully resist a ship carrying thirty- 
two-pound carronades, and double her number of guns and 
men; but so exaggerated had become the opinion of the 
British prowess on the ocean, that impossibilities were 
sometimes expected. It is said that, as only a part of 
the Essex's guns bore on the Alert, the manner in 
which the latter was taken must be attributed to a sudden 
panic among her people, some of whom were censured after 
their exchange. One or two of the officers, even, did not 
escape, the first lieutenant having been dismissed the 
service, by a court-martial. The Alert had but three 
men wounded, and the Essex sustained no injury at all. 
When boarded, the British man-of-war had seven feet of 



430 DAYID PORTER. 

water in lier hold. She was, however, made tight, converted 
into a cartel, and, with the various prisoners taken by the 
Essex, sent into St. Johns. 

Porter now continued his cruise, going to the south of the 
Grand Banks. On two occasions, he fell in with the enemy's 
frigates, and, at one time, was so hard pressed as to be re- 
duced to the necessity of making every preparation to carry 
one by boarding in the night, since, another English vessel 
of war being in company, an engagement in the usual man- 
ner would have been indiscreet. " The arrangements made 
on board the Essex, on this occasion," says a writer on 
the subject, "are still spoken of with admiration by 
those who were in the ship ; and there is great reason to 
think they would have succeeded, had the vessels met." 
By some accident, that has never been explained, the ships 
passed each other in the darkness, and, soon after, the Essex 
went into the Delaware to replenish her water and stores. 

Having made ready for sea again, with all possible 
despatch. Porter, on the 27th of October, 1812, sailed for the 
coast of Brazil. Here he expected to meet Bainbridge, in 
the Constitution. But, having touched at the various places 
of rendezvous without meeting with his superior, he deter 
mined on making a cruise in the Pacific, where he knew the 
enemy had many valuable vessels, especially whalers. Prior 
to adopting this resolution, however, he had made several 
captures; among others, that of the British government- 
packet Nocton, out of which he took fifty-five thousand 
dollars in specie. He heard also of the capture of the Java, 
but still could not meet his consort. Once he pursued a 
convoy, but without success. In resolving to enter the 
Pacific, when thus deserted by his allies. Porter strikingly 
exhibited that judgment and decision which formed promi- 
nent characteristics of the man. His arrival in that great 
western ocean was opportune. The American whalers, all 
which had sailed before the war, lay entirely at the mercy 



DAVID PORTER. 431 

of tlie British letters-of-marque. Moreover, the Viceroy of 
Peru, having chosen to imagine that hostihties would soon 
break out between Spain and the United States, had armed 
several corsairs and despatched them to make prey of 
American vessels. But for Porter's fortunate decision, our 
marine in the Pacific would have fallen a prey, hopelessly, to 
the enemy ; but the presence of the hero turned the tables, 
struck terror to the English, and led to the most astonishing 
cruise on record. 

The first port he made, after passing the Horn, was Valpa- 
raiso, where he arrived on the 14th of March, 1813. He 
found here, that Chili had declared herself independent of 
Spain. The authorities, as well as inhabitants, received 
him, consequently, with unexpected cordiality. Having 
obtained a supply of provisions, he left Valparaiso, and 
coasted the shores of Chili and Peru. He had not been long 
at sea, when he met with a Peruvian corsair, that had cap- 
tured two American ships on the coast of Chili, and had on 
board the crews of the two ships as prisoners. The com- 
mander of the corsair attempted to justify his conduct, by 
alleging himself to be an ally of Great Britain, and declaring 
that, in his belief, war already existed between Spain and 
the United States. Porter, finding the Peruvian captain 
determined to persist in his aggressions, lightened him of his 
armament by throwing it into the sea, released the prisoners, 
and then directing a polite letter to the viceroy, in which ha 
gave his reasons for his conduct, he delivered it to the 
captain. On proceeding to the port of Lima, he recaptured 
one of the American vessels as she was entering the port. 

Porter cruised for several months in the Pacific, making 
great havoc among the English traders. " He was," says the 
Analectic Magazine, "particularly destructive to those en- 
gaged in the spermaceti whale fishery. He took many, with 
valuable cargoes. One of the captured vessels he retained as 
ik store-ship j he equipped her with twenty guns, and called 



432 DAVID PORTER, 

her the Essex Junior, appointing Lieutenant Downea aa 
commander, while some of the others were given up to the 
prisoners, some sent to Valparaiso and laid up, and three 
sent to America. Captain Porter, now having a little 
squadron under his command, became the terror of those 
seas. He gained from his prizes a sufficient supply of provi- 
sions, medicines, naval-stores, clothing, and money ; so that 
he was able to fay his officers and men without drawing on 
the government, and was able to remain at sea without 
sickness or inconvenience. 

" From the extent of his depredations, he spread alarm 
and anxiety throughout all the ports of the Pacific, and 
created great disturbance in those of Great Britain. The 
merchants trembled with apprehension for the fate of their 
property, which was afloat on those waters, while the nation's 
pride was humbled, when it beheld a single frigate bearing 
the sceptre over the whole waters of the Pacific ; in defiance 
to their numerous fleets, destroying their commerce, and 
excluding their merchants from all western ports, and almost 
banishing the British flag from those climes where it had so 
long spread its folds to the breeze in proud predominance. 
The manner in which Captain Porter conducted his cruise 
baffled pursuit. Those who were sent in search of him were 
distracted by vague accounts, and were entirely unable to 
discover any traces by which they might be able to encounter 
him. Keeping in the open sea, and touching only at those 
desolate islands which form the Gallipagos, he left no traces 
by which he might be followed or discovered. Although he 
was deprived of all intelligence from land, and unable to 
gain any knowledge of home affiiirs, he often received a 
correct account of his enemies from the various prizes which 
he had captured." 

His siiccess against the enemy's whalers was, indeed, 
extraordinary. Between the 17th of April and the 3d of 
October, he captured no less than twelve British vessels, 



DAVID PORTER. 433 

having, together, a tonnage of 3369 tons, and mounting one 
hundred and seven guns. In the autumn of 1813, he learned 
that the Phoebe frigate, Captain Hillyar, was expected daily 
in the Pacific, accompanied by two sloops-of-war. He de- 
termined, without hesitation, to meet her. But, in conse- 
quence of the Essex having been at sea for such a length of 
time, some of her timbers were impaired and needed renewal, 
while the frigate required other repairs to enable her to face 
the foe. For this purpose, Porter repaired to the island of 
Nooaheevah, one of the Washington group, accompanied by 
several of his prizes. Having effected his object safely, he 
next proceeded to the port of Valparaiso. While lying 
here, Captain Hillyar arrived, having long sought for the 
Essex, but without success, and having almost given up all 
hopes of ever meeting with her. The Phoebe was accompa- 
nied by the sloop-of-war Cherub, which was strongly armed 
and manned. 

The two commanders now continued watching each other 
for a considerable period of time ; Porter unwilling to engage 
the two British ships single-handed, and Hillyar declining the 
combat on any thing like equal terms. But the manoeuvres 
on both sides, the desperate battle that ensued, and the viola- 
tion of neutrality committed by Hillyar, in following the Essex 
into the harbour of Valparaiso, will be best narrated in the 
graphic language of Porter himself, as used in the official 
despatch. " On getting their provisions on board," he says, 
" the Phoebe and Cherub went off the port for the purpose 
of blockading me, where they cruised for nearly six weeks ; 
during which time, I endeavoured to provoke a challenge, 
and frequently, but ineffectually, to bring the Phoebe alone 
to action, first with both my ships, and afterwards with my 
single ship with both crews on board. I was several times 
under way, and ascertained that I had greatly the advantage 
in point of sailing, and once succeeded in closing within gun- 
shot of the Phoebe, and commenced a fire on her, when she 



434 ^ DAVID PORTER. 

ran down for the Cherub, which was two miles and a half 
to leeward. This excited some surprise and expressions of 
indignation, as, previous to my getting under way, she hove 
to off the port, hoisted her motto-flag, and fired a gun to 
windward. Commodore Hilly ar seemed determined to avoid 
a contest with me on nearly equal terms, and, from his 
extreme prudence in keeping both his ships ever after con- 
stantly within hail of each other, there were no hopes of any 
advantages to my country from a longer stay in port. I 
therefore determined to put to sea the first opportunity which 
should offer; and I was the more strongly induced to do so, 
as I had received certain intelligence that the Tagus, ratt-d 
thirty-eight, and two other frigates, had sailed for that sea 
in pursuit of me ; and I had reason to expect the arrival of the 
Raccoon from the north-west coast of America, where she had 
been s'ent for the purpose of destroying our fur establishment 
on the Columbia. A rendezvous was appointed for the Essex 
Junior, and every arrangement made for sailing, and I in- 
tended to let them chase me off, to give the Essex Junior an 
opportunity of escaping. On the 28 th March, the day after 
this determination was formed, the wind came on to blow 
fresh from the southward, when I parted my larboard cable, 
and dragged my starboard anchor directly out to sea. Not 
a moment was to be lost in getting sail on the ship. The 
enemy were close in with the point forming the west side of 
the bay; but, on opening them, I saw a prospect of passing 
to windward, when I took in my top-gallant sails, which 
were set over single-reefed top-sails, and braced up for this 
purpose ; but, on rounding the point, a heavy squall struck 
the ship and carried away her main-topmast, precij)itating 
tlie men who were aloft into the sea, who were drowned. 
Both ships now gave chase to me, and I endeavoured, in my 
disabled state, to regain the port; but finding I could not 
rec-xner the common anchorage, I ran close into a small bay, 
about three quarters of a mile to leeward of the battery, on 



DAVID PORTER. 435 

east side of the harbour, and let go my anchor within pistol- 
shot of the shore, where I intended to repair my damages as 
soon as possible. 

"The enemy continued to approach, and showed an 
evident intention of attacking, regardless of the neutrality of 
the place where I was anchored ; and the caution observed 
in their approach to the attack of the crippled Essex was 
truly ridiculous, as was their display of motto-flags and the 
number of jacks at their mastheads. I, with as much expe- 
dition as circumstances would admit of, got my ship ready for 
action, and endeavoured to get a spring on my cable; but had 
not succeeded when the enemy, at fifty-four minutes after 
three, p. m., made* his attack, the Phoebe placing herself 
under my stern, and the Cherub on my starboard bow ; but 
the Cherub, soon finding her situation a hot one, bore up 
and ran under my stern also, where both ships kept up a hot 
raking fire. I had got three long twelve-pounders out of the 
stem-ports, which were worked with so much bravery and 
skill, that in half an hour we so disabled both as to compel 
them to haul off to repair damages. In the course of this 
firing, I had, by the great exertions of Mr. Edward Bame- 
well, the acting sailing-master, assisted by Mr. Linscott, 
the boatswain, succeeded in getting springs on our cable 
three different times ; but the fire of the enemy was so ex- 
cessive, that before we could get our broadside to bear, they 
were shot away, and thus rendered useless to us. My ship 
had received many injuries, and several had been killed and 
wounded; but my brave officers and men, notwithstanding 
the unfavourable circumstances under which we were brought 
to action and the powerful force opposed to us, were noways 
discouraged, and all appeared determined to defend their ship 
to the last extremity, and to die in preference to a shameful 
surrender. Our gaff, with the ensign, and the motto-flag at 
the mizzen, had been shot away, but " Free trade and sailors' 
rights" continued to fly at the fore. Our ensign was replaced 

29 



436 . DAVID PORTER. 

by another; and, to guard against a similar event, an ensign 
was made fast in the mizzen rigging, and several jacks were 
hoisted in different parts of the ship. The enemy soon re- 
paired his damages for a fresh attack : he now placed himself 
with both his ships on my starboard quarter, out of the 
reach of my carronades, and where my stern-guns could not 
be brought to bear : he there kept up a most galling fire, 
which it was out of my power to return when I saw no 
prospect of injuring him without getting under way and 
becoming the assailant. My topsail sheets and halyards 
were all shot away, as well as the jib and fore-topmast stay- 
sail halyards. The only rope not cut away was the flying- 
jib halyards; and that being the only sail I could set, I 
caused it to be hoisted, my cable to be cut, and ran down on 
both ships, with an intention of laying the Phoebe on board. 
The firing on both sides was now tremendous; I had let fall 
my fore-topsail and foresail, but the want of tack and sheets 
rendered them almost useless to us — yet we were enabled, 
for a short time, to close with the enemy; and although our 
decks were now strewed with dead and our cock-pit filled 
with wounded, — although our ship had been several times on 
fire, and was rendered a perfect wreck, we were still encour- 
aged to hope to save her, from the circumstance of the Cherub, 
from her crippled state, being Compelled to haul off. She 
did not return to close action again, although she apparently 
had it in her power to do so, but kept up a distant firing with 
her long guns. The Phoebe, from our disabled state, was 
enabled, however, by edging off, to choose the distance which 
best suited her long guns, and kept up a tremendous fire on 
us, which mowed down my brave companions by the dozen. 
Many of my guns had been rendered useless by the enemy's 
shot, and many of them had their whole crews destroyed. 
We manned them again from those which were disabled, 
and one gun, in particular, was three times manned ; fifteen 
men were slain at it, in the course of the action! But, 



DAVID PORTER. 437 

strange as it may appear, the captain of it escaped with only 
a slight wound. Finding that the enemy had it in his power 
to choose his distance, I now gave up all hopes of closing 
with him; and, as the wind, for the moment, seemed to 
^ favour the design, I determined to endeavour to run her on 
shore, land my men, and destroy her. Every thing seemed 
to favour my wishes. 

" We had approached the shore within musket-shot, and I 
had no doubt of succeeding, when, in an instant, the wind 
shifted from the land (as is very common in this port in the 
latter part of the day) and payed our head down on the 
Phoebe, where we were again exposed to a dreadful raking 
fire. My ship was now totally unmanageable ; yet, as her 
head was toward the enemy, and he to leeward of me, I still 
hoped to be able to board him. At this moment. Lieutenant 
Commandant Downes came on board to receive my orders, 
under the impression that I should soon be a jDrisoner. He 
could be of no use to me in the then wretched state of the 
Essex ; and finding (from the enemy's putting his helm up) 
that my attempt at boarding would not succeed, I directed 
him, after he had been about ten minutes on board, to return 
to his own ship, to be prepared for defending and destroying 
her, in case of an attack. He took with him«everal of my 
wounded, leaving three of his boat's crew on board to make 
room for them. The Cherub now had an opportunity of 
distinguishing herself, by keeping up a hot fire on him during 
his return. The slaughter on board my ship had now 
become horrible, the enemy continuing to rake us, and we 
unable to bring a gun to bear. I therefore directed a hawser 
to be bent to the sheet-anchor, and the anchor to be cut from 
the bows, to bring her head round : this succeeded. We again 
got our broadside to bear, and as the enemy was much 
crippled, and unable to hold his own, I have no doubt he 
would soon have drifted out of gun-shot, before he discovered 
we had anchored, had not the hawser unfortunately parted. 



438 DAVID PORTER. 

My ship had taken fire several times during the action, but 
alarmingly so forward and aft at this moment; flames were 
bursting up each hatchway, and no hopes were entertained 
of saving her. Our distance from the shore did not exceed 
three-quarters of a mile, and I hoped many of my brave 
crew would be able to save themselves, should the ship blow 
up, and I was informed the fire was near the magazine, and 
the explosion of a large quantity of powder below served to 
increase the horrors of our situation. Our boats were destroyed 
by the enemy's shot : I therefore directed those who could 
swim to jump overboard and endeavour to gain the shore. 
Some reached it, some were taken by the enemy, and some 
perished in the attempt ; but most preferred sharing with me 
the fate of the ship. We, who remained, now turned our 
attention wholly to extinguishing the flames : and when we 
had succeeded, went again to our guns, where the firing was 
kept up for some minutes, but the crew had by this time 
become so weakened, that they all declared to me the 
impossibility of making further resistance, and entreated 
me to surrender my ship, to save the wounded, as all further 
attempt at opposition must prove ineffectual, almost every 
gun being disabled by the destruction of their crews. I now 
sent for the queers of division, to consult them ; but what 
was my surprise to find only acting Lieutenant Stephen 
Decatur McKnight remaining, who confirmed the report 
respecting the condition of the guns on the gun-deck : those 
on the spar-deck were not in a better state. Lieutenant 
Wilmer, after fighting most gallantly throughout the action, 
had been knocked overboard by a splinter, while getting the 
sheet-anchor from the bows, and was drowned. Acting 
Lieutenant John G. Cowell had lost a leg ; Edward Barne- 
well acting saihng-master, had been carried below, after 
receiving two severe wounds, one in the breast and one in 
the face ; and acting Lieutenant William H. Odenheimer had 
been knocked overboard from the quarter an instant before. 



DAVID PORTER. 441 

and did not regain the ship until after the surrender. I was 
informed that the cockpit, the steerage, the ward-room, and 
the birth-deck could contain no more wounded ; that the 
wounded were killed while the surgeons were dressing them; 
and that, unless something was speedily done to prevent it, 
the ship would soon sink, from the number of shotrholes in 
her bottom. On sending for the carpenter, he informed me 
that all his crew had been killed or wounded, and that he 
had once been over the side to stop the leaks, when his slings 
had been shot away, and it was with 4ifficulty he was saved 
from drowning. The enemy, from the smoothness of the 
water, and the impossibility of our reaching him with our 
carronades, and the little apprehension that was excited by 
our fire, which had now become much slackened, was 
enabled to take aim at us as at a target : his shot never 
missed our hull, and my ship was cut up in a manner which 
was, perhaps, never before witnessed. In fine, I saw no 
hopes of saving her, and, at twenty minutes after six, p. M., 
gave the painful order to strike the colours. Seventy-five 
men, including ofiicers, were all that remained of my whole 
crew, after the action, capable of doing duty, and many of 
them severely wounded, some of whom have since died. 
The enemy still continued his fire, and my brave though 
unfortunate companions were still falling about me. I di- 
rected an opposite gun to be fired, to show them we intended 
no further resistance ; but they did not desist : four men were 
killed at my side, and others at different parts of the ship. 
I now believed he intended to show us no quarter, and that 
it would be as well to die with my flag flying as struck, and 
was on the point of again hoisting it, when, about ten minutes 
after hauling the colours down, he ceased firing." 

Never, perhaps, had a more unequal battle been protracted 
for so long a time. The disparity between the two forces 
was, in fact, about four to one against the Americans ; for, 
while the Essex, except for a short period in closing, fought 



442 DAVID PORTER. 

the battle with her six long twelves, the enemy had the 
fifteen long eighteens which the Phoebe carried in her broad- 
side, besides the long guns of the Cherub. The conflict con- 
tinued for two hours and a half, during which the long guns 
of the Essex were discharged seventy-five times. The 
American loss, as we have seen, was fifty-eight killed, sixty- 
six wounded, and thirty-one missing. The loss of the enemy 
was inconsiderable, being only five killed and ten wounded. 
In fact, after the Essex lost her topsail, it was left for the 
British to choose their position Avithout resistance on the 
part of the Americans ; and, selecting a convenient distance, 
they fired at the frigate of Porter as at a target, while, in 
consequence of the smoothness of the water, every shot told. 
The enemy's vessels, however, did not escape without serious 
injury. Thousands witnessed the sanguinary battle from 
the beach. During the conflict, Mr. Poinsett, the American 
consul, waited on the governor, and asked the protection of 
the batteries in behalf of the Essex ; but he received an evasive 
answer, to the effect that, if the American frigate should 
succeed in reaching her ordinary anchorage, he would 
despatch an officer to Captain Hillyar, requesting him to 
cease firing. A resort to force he declined, under any circum- 
stances. The fact was that the terror of the British name 
intimidated the governor, and hence he submitted to the 
violation of the Chilian waters without a complaint. Indig- 
nant at this subserviency, Mr. Poinsett seized the first 
occasion to leave the country. 

The conduct of Captain Hillyar, in declining to meet the 
Essex single-handed, has generally been considered the result 
of secret instructions from his government. After the battle, 
he was exceedingly courteous to the conquered. He con- 
sented that the Essex Junior should be converted into a 
cartel, in order to carry the prisoners to the United States, 
furnishing a passport for the purpose. In virtue of this 
arrangement, that vessel left Valparaiso, and, after a rapid 



DAYID PORTER. 443 

voyage, arrived off Sandy Hook. Here she was brought to 
by the Saturn, Captain Nash, who questioned the authority 
of Captain Hillyar to grant the passport, and directed the 
Essex Junior to lie by him during the night. The next 
morning, Porter, suspecting that Captain Nash intended to 
detain him, sprang into a whale-boat, with a picked crew, 
and made for the land, which he safely reached, though 
thirty miles distant, and though, for part of the distance, the 
British pursued him. The suspicion of Porter, however, 
proved incorrect, for Captain Nash, discovering there was 
no artifice intended, but that the papers of the cartel were 
genuine, allowed the Essex Junior to proceed. The same 
day. Porter reached New York, where the fame of his ex- 
ploits having already preceded him, he was the lion of 
the hour, the mob surrounding his carriage and taking out 
the horses, after which, with vociferous shouts, they dragged 
him to his lodgings. 

The same enthusiasm which greeted him on this occasion, 
attended him wherever he went, and for a long period. The 
daring spirit shown in the conception of a cruise in the 
Pacific, the bold manner in which the plan had been carried 
out, the great losses inflicted on the enemy, the romantic 
incidents connected with the sojourn at Nooaheevah, and, 
lastly, the heroic courage with which Porter had fought his 
ship until she was a wreck, — all these, disseminated over the 
country by the returned prisoners, and eulogized for months 
subsequently by the public press, conspired to render the 
name of Porter more popular than that of any naval com- 
mander of the day except Decatur, and to cast into the 
shade, for a while at least, even the renown of Perry. Men 
said proudly that history furnished no parallel to this event- 
ful cruise. The newspapers asserted that the annals of 
Britain might be searched in vain for a resistance so despe- 
rate as that of the Essex. And even veteran seamen, heroes 
who had fought in the Revolution, forgetting their usual 



444 DAVID PORTER. 

lamentations over the good old times, acknowledged that, in 
their days, nothing had been known to rival the courage 
with which Porter fought his ship, unless, perhaps, the 
stubborn bravery of Paul Jones in the Bon Homme Eichard. 
On all hands, therefore, the returned warrior found himself 
renowned. Ambitious as he was of fame, he now had his 
fill of glory. 

In January, 1815, the war terminated, and in the interval 
between his return and this event. Porter did not again get 
to sea. He was now appointed a naval commissioner, in 
which capacity he served until 1821. At this period, the 
West Indies were infested by pirates, and government being 
resolved on a serious effort to extirpate them. Porter volun- 
teered to assume charge of the expedition. Perkins, in his 
Historical Register, says : — " A more difficult and hazardous 
service was scarcely ever undertaken. A long and constant 
exposure to a tropical sun by day, and deadly chills and 
damps by night, constantly threatened the lives of the little 
bands who were seeking, in open boats and vessels of the 
smallest size, the haunts of the freebooters, among the rocks 
and shoals of the uninhabited coasts of Cuba and St. Domingo. 
They performed it, however, with such signal zeal and suc- 
cess, that, at the end of sixty days from the commencement 
of his operations, the commodore, in his official despatches, 
was able to say, ' that there was not a pirate afloat in the 
region of Matanzas, the scene of their greatest depredations, 
larger than an open boat; and not a single piratical act had 
been committed on the coast of Cuba since he had organized 
and arranged his forces.' He, however, very much regretted 
that the gazettes of the United States had given publicity to 
the fitting out of his armament, its destination and object, 
long before his arrival in the West Indies, which enabled the 
pirates to change their ground, and prevented their com- 
plete destruction; which, otherwise, he should have accom- 
plished. Many of them sought other hiding-places in the 



DATTD PORTER. 445 

southern and south-western coasts of -Cuba, near Cape 
Antonio; whence, at an after period, they renewed their 
depredations." 

We now approach a period of Commodore Porter's life 
which led to events much to be regretted, and in which both 
he and his country were seriously to blame. In October, 1824, 
the authorities of Foxardo, in Porto Rico, having committed 
an insult on the American flag. Porter, with his usual prompt- 
ness, landed a force at the place and compelled an apology. 
In this conduct, while he exhibited a praiseworthy sensitive- 
ness to the honour of his country, he acted, perhaps, wdth un- 
becoming haste, as he exceeded his powers. The intention 
of the act, however, should have been its apology. But there 
were envious men then, as now, in the navy of the United 
States — men only too glad to make a hero of Porter's renown 
amenable to the letter of the law; and, in consequence, when 
he returned home, he was tried by a court-martial and sen- 
tenced to be suspended from his command for six months. 
Unjust and ungenerous as this punishment was, the revenge 
taken by Porter is not to be defended. Indignant at the 
petty malice which led to the sentence; angry at being 
punished for a venial offence, which, in other cases, had been 
overlooked; irritated to reflect that, having voluntarily re- 
signed a lucrative and easy post for an arduous duty, this 
had been the return; and forgetting that no ill-treatment on 
the part of one's country can excuse the desertion of her by 
a true patriot, he threw up his commission, and entered the 
naval service of Mexico. In this new situation, he continued 
until 1829, receiving an annual salary of twenty-five thousand 
dollars, and holding the rank of commander-in-chief over all 
the armed forces of the republic. 

Little now remains to be told. The elevation of General 
Jackson to the Presidency of the United States opened a way 
for the return of Porter to his native land. The new 
executive had himself, when engaged in the Creek war, com- 



446 DAVID PORTER. 

mitted acts in defence of the honour of his country, far more 
violent than Porter's attack on Foxardo; and consequently 
he could appreciate the injustice of which the commodore 
had been made the victim. Accordingly, the post of minister 
to Algiers was offered to Porter, and accepted by the hero. 
On the conquest of Algiers by the French, the commodore 
was transferred to Constantinople, in the capacity of charge 
d'affaires. Subsequently, he returned to the United States on 
a visit, and was afterwards sent out to the Porte as a full 
minister. In this capacity, he negotiated several important 
affairs with the court of Constantinople, and contributed to 
elevate jnaterially the character of the American republic in 
the estimation of the Turks. 

But the sands of the hero's life were now running low. 
In March, 1843, his health, which had been long faihng, gave 
way finally, and, on the 28th of that month, he died, at his 
residence at Pera. His body was brought to the United 
States, and interred, with suitable honours, at the foot of the 
flag-staff, on the lawn in front of the Naval Asylum near 
Philadelphia. 

Porter was comparatively short in stature. His counte- 
nance was a true index of his character, exhibiting the 
chivalry, heroism, and impulsiveness of his disposition. 




ACTION WITH TBS REINBEEB. 



JOHNSTON BLAKELET. 



The melancholy fate of Blakeley, who was lost at sea in 
the Wasp, with all his crew, in the autumn of 1814, will 
long keep his memory sacred among Americans. A gallant 
and efficient officer, his untimely fate can never be sufficiently 
regretted. 

Johnston Blakeley was born near the village of Seaford, in 
the county of Down, Ireland, in the month of October, 1781. 
At the age of two, he accompanied his parents, who emi- 
grated to the United States, then just acknowledged to be an 
independent nation. After residing in Philadelphia for a few 
months, the elder Blakeley removed to Charleston, South 
Carolina, with the intention of embarking in business. 
Subsequently, however, he established himself at Wilming- 

449 



450 JOHNSTON" BLAKELET. 

ton, North Carolina. Here, in consequence of the insalubrity 
of the climate to persons not natives, Mr. Blakeley was 
deprived of his wife, and of all his children, except his son 
Johnston, by death. Warned of the peril that surrounded 
his sole remaining offspring, he resolved to send the lad away 
from the influences of the unhealthy region ; and, accordingly, 
in 1790, he despatched Johnston to New York, to the care 
of an old friend, Mr. Hoope, a respectable merchant of that 
place. 

Young Blakeley remained at New York, assiduously 
pursuing his studies, for a period of five years, after which 
he returned to Wilmington, and was for a time without any 
definite occupation. His father, however, had resolved to 
educate him for the bar, and though the inclinations of the 
son pointed to the sea, he concealed his wishes, -deferring to 
those of his parent. It was therefore decided that he should 
be a lawyer. Accordingly, in 1796, he was placed at the 
University of North Carolina. In the ensuing year, the elder 
Blakeley died. Being without a relative on this side of the 
Atlantic, young Blakeley was, for a time, undecided what 
course to pursue ; but having finally chosen for his guardian 
Mr. Jones, an eminent lawyer of Wilmington, he determined, 
by the advice of this gentleman, to continue his studies. 
Disaster, however, had not yet done with him. In 1799, his 
little fortune was unexpectedly swept away, and he found 
himself, while still at college, without means to complete his 
education. His guardian generously insisted on paying his 
expenses ; but young Blakeley was averse to accumulating 
obligations he might never be able to repay ; and believing 
himself released by necessity from executing his father's 
wish, he determined to abandon the law and adopt the 
profession of his choice. Accordingly, through the exertions 
of Mr. Jones, he obtained a midshipman's warrant, and made 
his first voyage in the year 1800. 

His career, for a comparatively long period, presents 



JOHNSTON BLAKELET. 451 

notliiiig eventful. He devoted himself, however, assiduously 
to his profession; the more so because, having no relatives 
in the United States, the service was emphatically to him 
country, family, and home. His aspirations for eminence 
were incessant. The few private letters of his which have 
been preserved, and which picture his feelings during this 
period, represent him as eager for the day to arrive when he 
should attain a command by which he might achieve some- 
thing worthy of his name. " I hope the last Blakeley who 
exists," he says, " will lay down his life ere he tarnish the 
reputation of those who have gone before him. My father's 
memory is very dear to me, and I trust his son will never 
cast a reproach on it." When the war of 1812 broke out, 
Blakeley, then a lieutenant, received the command of the 
Enterprise. Her station was on the eastern coast, where she 
was kept actively employed in driving off the small priva- 
teers, which were sent out of the adjacent English porta 
continually. In August, 1813, the Enterprise captured the 
Fly privateer. It was Blakeley's ambition, however, to 
meet a British man-of-war of the size of his own vessel ; but 
as this seemed impossible while he remained in the Enter- 
prise, he was not sorry to be transferred from her, and 
appointed to the Wasp, a new sloop then building. Simulta- 
neously with this change, he was promoted to the rank of 
master and commander. 

Blakeley, however, had scarcely left his old schooner, when 
the British armed brig, the Boxer, appeared off the coast, 
and the battle ensued in which the heroic Burrows, who had 
succeeded him in the command, paid for victory with life. 
Fatal as was the triumph to Burrows, it would seem that 
Blakeley envied him notwithstanding. In a letter, written 
in January, 1814, he says, "I shall ever view as one of the 
most unfortunate events of my life, having quitted the 
Enterprise at the moment I did. Had I remained in her 
a fortnight longer, my name might have been classed with 

30 



452 JOHNSTON BLAKELEY. 

those who stand so high. I cannot but consider it a morti- 
fying circumstance that I left her but a few days before she 
fell in with the only enemy on this station with which she 
could have creditably contended. I confess I felt heartily 
glad when I received my order to take command of the Wasp, 
conceiving that there was no hope of doing any thing in the 
Enterprise. But when I heard of the contest of the latter 
ship, and witnessed the great delay in the equipment of the 
former, I had no cause to congratulate myself.- The Peacock 
has ere this spread her plumage to the winds, and the Frolic 
will soon take her revels on the ocean ; but the Wasp will, I 
fear, remain for some time a dull, harmless drone, in the 
waters of her own country. Why this is, I am not permitted 
to inquire." 

The eager desire of Blakeley for distinction was not, 
however, suffered finally to be disappointed. In May, 1814, 
having received sailing orders, he left Portsmouth, New 
Hampshire, destined for a cruise upon the coasts of England. 
He soon reached the chops of the British cha^nnel, and, on the 
28th June, 1814, captured the British man-of-war Reindeer, 
of eighteen guns. Blakeley lost five killed and twenty-two 
wounded. The British loss was twenty-five killed and forty- 
two wounded. After this gallant exploit Blakeley went into 
L'Orient. 

The^Wasp was compelled to remain in port until the 
twenty-seventh of August; though her commander was 
impatient to get to sea, in order to signalize himself with 
more successes. Nor were the expectations of her heroic 
commander disappointed. When but three days out, the 
Wasp had a desperate action with a large man-of-war brig, 
belonging to the British navy, and would have succeeded 
in capturing her, but for the appoarance of an enemy's 
squadron in sight, which compelled Blakeley to forego the 
pleasure of destroying her. In an official letter to the 
Secretary of the Navy, dated at sea, September the 11th, 



JOHNSTON BLAKELET. 453 

the hero gives this simiole narrative of the affair. " After a 
protracted and tedious stay at L'Orient, we had at last the 
pleasure of leaving that place, on Saturday, the 27th of 
August. On the 30th, we captured the British brig Lettice, 
Henry Cockburn, master; and on the 31st of August, the 
British brig Bon Accord, Adam Durno, master, fn the 
morning of the 1st of September, we discovered a convoy of 
ten sail to leeward, in charge of the Armada seventy-four, 
and a bomb-ship ; stood for them, and succeeded in cutting 
out the British brig Mary, John D. Allen, master, laden 
with brass cannon, taken from the Spaniards, iron cannon 
and military stores from Gibraltar to England : removed the 
prisoners, set her on fire, and endeavoured to capture 
another of the convoy, but was chased off by the Armada. 
On the evening of the same day, at half-past six, while going 
free, discovered four vessels, nearly at the same time, two on 
the starboard, and two on the larboard bow, being the farthest 
to windward. At seven, the chase, a brig, commenced 
making signals, with flags, which could not be distin- 
guished, for want of light, and soon after made various ones, 
with lanterns, rockets, and guns. At twenty-nine minutes 
after nine, having the chase under our lee-bow, the thir- 
teen-pound carronade was directed to be fired into him, 
which he returned; ran under his lee-bow to prevent his 
escaping, and commenced the action. At ten o'clock, 
believing the enemy to be silenced, orders were given to 
cease firing, when I hailed, and asked if he had surrendered. 
No answer being given to this, and his firing having recom- 
menced, it was again returned. At twelve minutes after 
ten, the enemy having suffered greatly, and having made 
no return to our last two broadsides, I hailed him the 
second time, to know if he had surrendered, when he 
answered in the affirmative. The guns were then ordered 
to be secured, and the boat lowered to take possession. In 
the act of lowering the boat, a second brig was discovered a 



454 JOHNSTON BLAKELEY. 

little distance astern, and standing for us. Sent the crew to 
their quarters, prepared every thing for another action, and 
awaited his coming up. At thirty-six minutes after ten, 
discovered two more sails astern, standing towards us. I 
now felt myself compelled to forego the satisfaction of 
destroying the prize. Our braces having been cut away, we 
kept off the wind until others could be rove, and with the 
expectation of drawing the second brig from his companions ; 
but in this last we were disappointed. The second brig 
continued to approach us until she came close to our stern, 
when she hauled by the wind, fired her broadside, which 
cut our rigging and sails considerably, and shot away a 
lower main cross-tree, and retraced her steps to join her 
consorts; when we were necessitated to abandon the prize. 
He appeared in every respect a total wreck. He continued 
for some time firing guns of distress, until probably delivered 
by the two last vessels who made their appearance. The- 
second brig could have engaged us, if he thought proper, as 
he neared us fast; but contented himself with firing a 
broadside, and immediately returned to his companions. 

" Our loss is two killed, and one slightly Avounded with a 
wad. The hull received four round-shot, and the foremast 
many grape-shot. Our rigging and sails suffered a great 
deal. Every damage has been repaired the day after, with 
the excejjtion of our sails. Of the vessel with whom we 
were engaged, nothing positive can be said with regard to 
his name or force. While hailing him, previous to his being 
fired into, it was blowing fresh, (then going ten knots,) and 
the name was not distinctly understood. "Of his force, the 
four shot which struck us are all thirty-two pounds in 
weight, being a pound and three-quarters heavier than any 
belonging to this vessel. From this circumstance, the num- 
ber of men in his tops, his general appearance, and great 
length, he is believed to be one of the largest brigs in the 
British navy." 



JOHNSTON BLAKELET. ^ 455 

This surmise of Blakeley proved correct. The vessel 
captured by the Wasp was the Avon, of eighteen guns, 
Captain Arbuthnot; and she was so much injured by the 
battle, that she sunk, her crew being with difficulty saved 
by her consort, the Castilian eighteen. The last boat from 
the Avon with the wounded was still half-way from the 
Castilian, when the former went down, head foremost. The 
loss to the British ship was nine killed and thirtj^-three 
wounded, among the latter being her second lieutenant, who 
received a mortal hurt early in the action. The Wasp, 
having made her escape from the squadron, after this 
gallant action, held on her course, and, on the 12th of 
September, captured the brig Three Brothers, and scuttled 
her. Two days subsequently, she took another brig, the 
Bacchus, scuttling her also. On the 21st, she captured the 
brig Atlanta, of eight guns; and the prize was a valuable 
one : she was despatched to America, under charge of Mr. 
Geisinger, one of the midshipmen of the Wasp. From that 
time, nothing was heard of the brave Blakeley, or his vessel, 
for many months; and conjecture was already speculating 
mournfully upon his fate, when it was ascertained that he 
had been spoken, nearly three weeks later, by a Swedish 
brig, bound from Rio Janeiro to Falmouth, England. This, 
however, proved the last intelligence that was ever heard of 
him. The gallant Wasp, with all on board of her, probably 
perished in a gale. 

Thus terminated a highly successful cruise : thus perished 
many brave seamen and their leader. Though less than 
four months at sea, the Wasp had captured thirteen mer- 
chantmen, valued, with their cargoes, at a million of dollars. 
The sloop herself was one of the finest in the navy. Her 
crew were mostly young men, inspired by a laudable ambi- 
tion, and emulating the bravery combined with discretion 
which so eminently distinguished their commander. 

Blakeley had been married, in December, 1813, to Miss 



456 JOHNSTON BLAKELET. 

Jane Hoope, the daughter of his father's old friend, Mr. 
Hoope, of New York. He left a posthumous daughter, whom 
the State of North Carolina, with substantial gratitude, 
educated at the expense of the commonwealth. 

In person, Blakeley was rather below the middle stature. 
His eyes were black, expressive, and intelligent; his de- 
meanour mild, yet, manly; and his person handsome. His 
attainments were respectable; and he had considerable 
reputation for intellect. 




LEWIS WAERINGTOIf. 




LEWIS WAERINGTON. 



The capture of the Epervier, by the Peacock, was deemed 
by Congress worthy of a gold medal ; and accordingly this 
coveted honour was bestowed on Lewis Warrington, the 
captain of the Peacock and the hero of the victory. 

Warrington was born in Williamsburg, not far from the city 
of Norfolk, Va., on the 3d of November, 1782. At an early 
age he began his academic career, which he finished with 
honour at William and Mary College, in his native State, in 
his seventeenth year. Though fond of study, possessed of a 
retentive memory, and gifted with excellent abilities, in a 
word, qualified in every way to succeed in a learned pro- 
fession, his views, from his earliest boyhood, pointed, not to 
the law, or politics, but the navy. Accordingly, in January, 
1800, he obtained a warrant as midshipman, and entered on 
his first cruise. 

He served, for a time, on board the Chesapeake thirty- 

459 



460 LEWIS WARRINGTON". 

eight, Captain Samuel Barron. In this vessel he made a 
voyage to the West Indies, which formed his introduction 
to his new profession. Returning to the United States in 
May, 1801, he was removed to the President, forty-four, 
then fitting out for the Mediterranean, under Commodore 
Dale. On this cruise he was absent about a year, part of 
which period was spent in blockading Tripoli. In May, 
1802, Warrington joined the New York, thirty-six, in 
which vessel he departed again for the Mediterranean. He 
had now acquired reputation as a deserving young officer, 
and accordingly was made master's mate of the frigate. In 
June, 1803, he once more returned to the United States, 
coming back in his old ship, the Chesapeake. On his 
arrival, he was immediately transferred to the Vixen, 
twelve, which sailed in August, 1803, for the Mediterranean, 
and, in this vessel, shared in the attacks on the gun-boats 
and batteries of Tripoli, which followed each other in such 
rapid succession during the ensuing year. 

In November, 1804, Warrington was made an acting lieu- 
tenant, as a reward for his assiduous services of the past 
three years. In July, 1805, he was transferred to the Siren, 
sixteen, as junior lieutenant. In March, 1806, he joined 
the Enterprise twelve, as first lieutenant, another step in 
rank. In July, 1807, he returned to the United States. He 
had, on this last cruise, been absent from his country four 
years, during which he had been actively and unintermit- 
tingly occupied, and had seen every variety of service. His 
whole career in the navy had numbered but seven years, 
yet he had risen to comparatively advanced rank, and had 
participated in many stirring events. In three years he had 
visited the Mediterranean three times. He was considered 
an equally active and courageous young officer, and had 
already laid the foundation of the reputation which his 
victory over the Epervier, a few years later, perfected. 

On his return to the United States, Warrington was 



LEWIS WARRINGTON. 461 

appointed to command a gun-boat at Norfolk, where Decatur 
was then stationed. It is ahnost impossible to conceive a 
situation more injurious to a young officer than the com- 
mand of one of these paltry vessels. The impossibility of 
acquiring distinction, the temptation to habits of idleness, 
and the danger of contamination to the principles and 
manners were such as destroyed many of the most promising 
young officers at that time in the navy. Warrington, how- 
ever, resisted the tendencies around him. His old love of 
study and the excellent associations he had formed in youth 
protected him where others succumbed, and he came out of 
the ordeal, tried and approved. He remained in the gun- 
boat service until February, 1809, when he was again 
ordered to the Siren, as first lieutenant. In this vessel, 
which carried out despatches, he visited France. On coming 
back to the United States, he was ordered to the Essex 
thirty-two, in which frigate he cruised as first lieutenant for 
some months on the American coast, after which he visited 
Europe, the Essex being again sent thither with despatches. 
In 1812, he returned to the United States, when Captain 
Smith, of the Essex, having been appointed to the Congress 
thirty-eight, that officer solicited as a favour that lieutenant 
Warrington might be allowed to accompany him. The 
request was complied with, and Warrington followed Smith 
to the Congress. 

The war with England had just been declared. The Con- 
gress was one of the squadron lying at New York, under the 
command of Commodore Rodgers, and immediately put to sea, 
under that officer, in pursuit of the homeward bound British 
West India fleet. The unfortunate nature of this cruise is 
well known. Though Rodgers, during fourteen days, passed 
and repassed the British merchant-fleet continually, the fog 
was so thick, that his own vessels could not distinguish each 
other a quarter of a mile distant, much less discern the 
enemy. After sweeping the Atlantic, from New York 



462 LEWIS WARRINGTON. 

almost to the Cape de Verd, and thence to the chops of 
the British Channel, the American squadron returned to 
port, having failed entirely of the great prize of which they 
had been in pursuit. A few merchant-vessels were cap- 
tured, but no men-of-war. Warrington continued in the 
Congress, with Captain Smith, until March, 1813, when he 
was transferred to the United States, as first lieutenant, 
under Decatur. In July of the same year, he was promoted 
to the rank of master-commandant, at the particular recom- 
mendation of Decatur. Shortly after, he received the com- 
mand of the Peacock eighteen ; and now the career of glory 
opened at last fairly before him ! 

The Peacock went to sea from New York, in March, 
1814, and proceeded to the southward, as far as the Great 
Isaacs, cruising in that vicinity and along the Florida shore, 
to Cape Carnaveral, For some time, no vessels of the 
enemy were seen. But on the 29th of April, in latitude 
27° 47' N., and longitude 80° 9' W., several strange sail 
were discovered, which, on a nearer approach, proved to be 
two mercliantmen under convoy of a British brig-of-w\ir. 
The former, immediately on detecting the Peacock, hauled 
up to the east-north-east, while the man-of-war edged 
gallantly away for the American ship. It was not long 
before the two vessels, botli anxious for the combat, were 
alongside of each other. A close and spirited action in- 
stantly began. At the first broadside of the enemy, the 
Peacock received a couple of thirty-two pound shot in the 
quarter of her fore-yard, which, rendering her head-sails 
nearly useless, prevented manoeuvring on her part, com- 
pelled her to fight running large, and reduced the struggle 
to one of skill in gunnery and weight of metal. Notwith- 
standing these disadvantages, however, the American ship, 
in about forty-two miimtes, compelled* her adversary to 
strike. The prize proved to be the brig Epervier, a vessel 
somewhat inferior to the Peacock. The weight of broadside 



LEWIS WARRIXGTOlSr. 463 

in favour of the latter was, however, comparatively slight, 
being only twenty pounds. But the difference in the 
damage sustained by the two vessels was very considerable, 
and altogether disproportionate to this disparity; for while 
the Epervier was hulled forty-five times, and lost twenty-six 
men, killed and wounded, the Peacock was not hulled by a 
single round-shot, and had not a man killed, and but two 
wounded. In an hour after the battle was over, the 
American ship was ready for action again. 

The official letter of Warrington, communicating intelli- 
gence of this victory to the department, is modest and 
perspicuous. It is dated on the day of the battle, a few 
hours after the conflict. He writes : — " I have the honour 
to inform you that we have this morning captured, after an 
action of forty-two minutes, his Britannic Majesty's brig 
Epervier, rating and mounting eighteen thirty-two pound 
carronades, with one hundred and twenty-eight men, of 
whom eleven were killed, and fifteen wounded, according to 
the best information we could obtain ; among the latter is 
her first lieutenant, who has lost an arm, and received a 
severe splinter-wound in the hip. Not a man in the Peacock 
was killed, and only two wounded, neither dangerously. 
The fate of the Epervier would have been decided in much 
less time, but for the circumstance of our fore-yard having 
been totally disabled by two round-shot in the starboard- 
quarter from her first broadside, which entirely deprived us 
of the use of our fore-topsails, and compelled us to keep the 
ship large throughout the remainder of the action. This, 
with a few topmast and topgallant backstays cut away, and 
a few shot through our sails, is the only injury the Peacock 
has sustained. Not a round-shot touched our hull, and our 
masts and spars are as sound as ever. When the enemy 
struck, he had five feet water in his hold ; his maintopmast 
was over the side; his mainboom shot away; his foremast 
cut nearly in two, and tottering; his fore-rigging and stays 



464 LEWIS WARRINGTON. 

shot away ; his bowsprit badly wounded, and forty-five shot- 
holes in his hull, twenty of which were within a foot of his 
water-line, above and below. By great exertions, we got 
her in sailing order just as night came on. In fifteen 
minutes after the enemy struck, the Peacock was ready for 
another action, in every respect, but the fore-yard, which 
was sent down, fished, and Ave had the foresail set again in 
forty-five minutes — such was the spirit and activity of our 
gallant crew. The Epervier had under convoy an English 
hermaphrodite brig, a Russian, and a Spanish ship, which 
all hauled their wind and stood to the E. N. E. I had 
detetermined upon pursuing the former, but found that it 
would not be prudent to leave our prize in her then crippled 
state ; and the more particularly so, as we found she had on 
board one hundred and twenty thousand dollars in specie, 
which we soon transferred to this ship. Every officer, 
seaman, and marine did his duty, which is the highest 
compliment I can pay them." 

- Warrington brought his prize safely into port, where, like 
all the naval victors who had preceded him, he was enthu- 
siastically received. Congress, in gratitude for his victory, 
presented him with a gold medal. He was also promoted to 
be a post-captain. In the beginning of the ensuing year, he 
sailed from New York, in company with the Hornet, Captain 
Biddle, as part of the squadron of Decatur, intended to cruise 
in the Indian seas. The Hornet and Peacock were sepa- 
rated in a chase, and afterwards rejoined each other at 
Tristan d' Acunha, their appointed rendezvous; but after 
waiting in vain for the President, which had meantime been 
captured off Long Island by the British squadron, they 
sailed for their destination. In a second chase, they were 
again separated, and did not afterwards meet. To effect 
her escape, the Hornet was compelled to throw overboard 
her guns, which rendered it necessary for her to return to 
port. The Peacock, however, continued her cruise, and. 



LETTIS "W^ARRINGTON". 465 

gaining the Straits of Sunda, captured several vessels (rf the 
enemy, one of them an armed brig of fourteen guns. From 
this latter ship, Warrington learned of the declaration of 
peace, on which he returned to the United States, where he 
arrived in November, 1815. During the time he was in 
command of the Peacock, he captured nineteen of the 
enemy's vessels. 

After the cessation of hostilities, Warrington passed a 
compai;atively quiet and uneventful life. He served on 
several stations, and wore his broad pennant; but no oppor- 
tunities for glory arose afterwards in his' career. 

Warrington died, at Washington city, Oct. 12th, 1851. 




THOMAS MACDONOUGH. 



The fall of Napoleon, in April, 1814, by disengaging to a 
large extent the troops of Great Britain occupied in the 
continental war, left that power free to employ almost her 
entire strength against the United States. Accordingly, an 
invasion of the great State of New York, by way of Lake 
Champlain and the Hudson, was planned, and a formidable 
army detached, supported by a fleet upon the lake, in order 
to execute the scheme. The conquest of New York, and of 
some of the contiguous New-England commonwealths, was 
confidently predicted by the English government. But 
these brilliant expectations were doomed to a speedy dis- 
appointment. The army and fleet had advanced as far as 
Plattsburgh, on Lake Champlain, when they were met by 
the combined land and naval forces of the United States, the 
former under General Macomb, the latter under Commodore 
Macdonough. A desperate action ensued: the land attack 
met with a decided repulse ; while, on the lake, the discom- 
fiture of the British was total. The supporting squadron 
being captured, the retreat of the royal army followed 
necessarily; and Macdonough had thus the good fortune 
of rescuing his country at a crisis even more imminent 
466 



THOMAS MACDOXOUGH. 469 

than that from which Perry had saved her the autumn 
before. 

Macdonough was born in Newcastle county, Delaware, in 
the month of December, 1783. His father had been a 
physician, subsequently a major in the continental line, and 
afterwards a judge of his native State; and dying in 1795, 
when our hero was still a youth, left a large family compara- 
tively unprovided for. The influence of some friends pro- 
cured for young Macdonough, however, a midshipman's 
warrant, thus giving him a start in life ; and this was all he 
needed. He soon vindicated for himself, even among the 
gallant spirits by whom the navy was then filled, a high 
reputation for courage, skill, and industry. Everywhere he 
began to be spoken of as a young officer of great promise, 
who required only a fitting opportunity to distinguish himself 
signally. Being in the Mediterranean, accordingly, when it 
was resolved to burn the Philadelphia, Decatur paid him 
the compliment of selecting him as one of the midshipmen 
to accompany the expedition : and the result was that he 
Bhared in the merited glory of that enterprise. Throughout 
the hazardous voyage of the Intrepid into the harbour; 
throughout the exciting moments when the Philadelphia 
was fired ; and throughout the perilous period that followed 
during the escape of the ketch, while the balls from the 
batteries were falling all around, the grave composure of 
Macdonough awakened general admiration, and gave an 
earnest of the calm heroism which, at a later day, made the 
flag of England sink before him at the battle of Champlain. 

Not long after the destruction of the Philadelphia, Mac- 
donough was at Syracuse, and one evening, being on shore, 
walked out alone. Robberies and assassinations were fre- 
quent after dusk, and the young officer suddenly found 
himself set upon, on this occasion, by three desperadoes. 
Placing his back against a wall, he soon had the good fortune 
to wound two. The third now took to flight. Macdonough, 



470 THOMAS MACDONOUGH. 

however, rushed in pursuit, and pushed the wretch so hard, 
that he climbed to the roof of a building. But even here 
the assassin was not secure : the intrepid Macdonough 
followed him; and the villain, throwing himself, as a last 
resource, from the roof, perished by the fall. Another 
anecdote of the intrepidity of the young hero is told in the 
"Portrait Gallerj^," as having occurred in 180G, at Gibraltar, 
when Macdonough was first lieutenant of the Siren. 1' During 
the forenoon of a day in wdiich Captain Smith," says that au- 
thority, "was on shore, a merchant-brig, under the colours of 
the United States, came into port, and anchored ahead and 
close to the Siren. Soon after, a boat was sent from a British 
frigate then lying in the harbour, on board this brig. After 
remaining alongside a little while, the boat returned, with 
one man more than she w^ent wit^. This circumstance 
attracted the notice of Macdonough, who sent Lieutenant 
Page on board the brig, to know the particulars of the affair, 
Mr. Page returned with information that the man had been 
impressed . by the boat from the British frigate, although he 
had a protection as an American citizen. Immediately on 
the receipt of this information, Macdonough ordered the 
Siren's gig to be manned, and putting himself in her, went in 
pursuit of the boat, determined to rescue his countryman. 
He overtook her alongside the British frigate, just as the 
man at the bow was raising his boat-hook to reach the ship, 
and took out the American by force, although the other boat 
had eight oars, and his only four, and carried him on board 
the Siren. 

" When the report of this affair was made to the captain 
of the British frigate, he came on board the Siren, in a great 
rage, and desired to know how Macdonough dared to take a 
man from one of his majesty's boats. The lieutenant, with 
great politeness, asked him down into the cabin; this he 
refused, at the same time repeating the demand, with abun- 
dance of threats. The Englishman threw out some threats 



THOMAS MACDOXOUGH. 471 

that he would take the man by force, and said he would 
haul the frigate alongside the Siren for that purpose. To 
this Macdonough replied, that ' he supposed his ship could 
sink the Siren, but, as long as she could swim, he should 
keep the man.' The English captain said to Macdonough, 

* You are a very young man, and a very indiscreet young 
man. Suppose I had been in the boat: what would you havo 
done ?' ' I would have taken the man, or lost my life.' 

* What, sir ! would you attempt to stop me, if I were now to 
attempt to impress men from that brig ?' ' I would ; and to 
convince yourself I would, you have only to make the attempt.' 
On this, the Englishman went on board his ship, and shortly 
afterwards was seen making in the direction of the American 
merchant-brig. Macdonough ordered his boat manned and 
armed, got into her himself, and was in readiness for pursuit. 
The Englishman took a circuit round the American brig, 
and returned again to the frigate. When Captain Smith 
came on board, he justified the conduct of Macdonough, and 
declared his intention to protect the American seaman." 

Fortunately, the affair passed off without further difficulty. 
The anecdote illustrates not only the intrepidity of Mac- 
donough, but the insolence with which American merchant- 
ships were treated by British men-of-war. 

Nothing calling for particular mention occurred in Mac- 
donough's career from this period up to the war of 1812. 
When that event took place, the elder officers were mostly 
sent to sea ; and nothing remained for the junior ones but 
subordinate positions, unless they happened to be sent upon 
the lakes. It was the good fortune of Macdonough to be 
selected for the latter service. He was despatched to Lake 
Champlain, an important post, since it was on the direct 
route from Canada to the Hudson. For a time, however, 
there was little prospect of distinction to be gained in this 
quarter. The energies of the British were almost entirely 
devoted to contesting the supremacy of Erie and Ontario, in 



472 THOMAS MACDONOUGH. 

order to avert the threatened invasion of Canada; and accord- 
ingly, the squadrons under Perry and Chauncey monopolized, 
for more than a j^ear, the chief share of the attention of the 
nation. But early in the summer of 1814, it becoming known 
that the enemy was preparing for a descent upon the Hud- 
son, the public interest was turned to Lake Champlain and 
to the young officer in command there. Rumour attached to 
the threatened invasion a strong probability of success. It 
was said that sixteen thousand veterans, selected from 
Wellington's army, had been landed in Canada, expressly to 
take part in this expedition; and it was added that the 
British fleet upon the lake was to be increased to such a size 
as would render the defeat of Macdonough inevitable. Nor 
did these rumours, on inquiry, prove exaggerations. The 
popular mind, in consequence, was raised to a great pitch of 
apprehension, and many persons, unacquainted with Macdo- 
nough's heroism, trembled for the result. 

The naval force of the United States on Lake Champlain 
had been inconsiderable, until the winter of 1814, when a 
ship and schooner had been constructed. As soon as intelli- 
gence of the threatened invasion reached Washington, orders 
were issued for the keel of a brig to be laid, as well as for 
several galleys or gun-boats to be built. The British, on 
learning this, began the construction of a brig, taking care to 
make her larger than the Ar^erican one. The brig of 
Macdonough was launched about the middle of August : the 
British brig on the 25th. The invading force was now 
k^own to be collecting on the frontier, and the American 
commander, accordingly^, was anxious to get his little squadron 
ready before that of the enemy. In this he succeeded, and 
advancing to Plattsburgh, the point selected for defence, 
anchored on the 3d of September, on the flank of the troops 
occupying intrenchments at that place. The forces of Gene- 
ral Macomb, commanding the American army at this point, 
amounted to but fifteen hundred effectives ; while those of 



THOMAS MACDONOUGH. 473 

Sir George Prevost, the British leader, were computed at 
not less than twelve thousand. From the 7th to the 11th, 
the enemy were employed in bringing up their battering 
train, stores, and reinforcements. On the latter day, Sir 
George Prevost having resolved upon the assault, the English 
squadron advanced to sustain it, by attacking the American 
fleet, and thus laying open the flank of Macomb's troops, for 
defeat was regarded by the confident foe as impossible. 
The battle, however, resulted in one of the most glorious 
victories ever gained by the American flag. The triumph 
of Macdonough was complete. And not less conspicuous 
than his heroism in the struggle was the modesty with which 
he announced his success to the Secretary of the Navy. 
No biography of his life would be complete without this 
characteristically laconic despatch, written on the night 
after the battle. "The Almighty has been pleased," it 
says, "to grant us a signal victory on Lake Champlain, in 
the capture of one frigate, one brig, and two sloops-of-war of 
the enemy." 

This memorable combat, so modestly announced, was, in 
popular estimation, regarded as second only to Lake Erie ; and 
by competent naval critics, adjudged to be superior. The 
enthusiasm with which its news was received throughout the 
nation was unbounded. By a single decisive action, Mac- 
donough had frustrated the entire plan of the invasion; and 
the country hastened to testify its gratitude for the act. 
Congress voted the victor a gold medal and the thanks of 
the nation. He was also raised to a post-captaincy, his title 
as commodore having been merely by courtesy, and his real 
rank not being above that of a lieutenant. The State of 
New York bestowed on him a thousand acres of land, and 
the cities of New York and Albany also presented him with 
tracts. The legislature of Vermont purchased for him, with 
delicate tact, an estate of two hundred acres on Cumberland 
Head, overlooking the scene of his triumph. 



474 THOMAS MACDONOUGH. 

Macdonough, after the close of the war, did not sink into 
idleness. He shared the honours of the service, both at home 
and abroad, never regarding his own comfort when duty 
called him to action. His candid, earnest, and just mind 
rendered him a valuable member of court-martials. For 
some years prior to his decease, he resided at Middletown, 
Connecticut, where he had married. His life was not des- 
tined to be a protracted one. The fatal disease of our climate 
had early made inroads on his constitution. The premature 
death of his wife probably hastened his end. On the 10th 
of November, 1825, he breathed his last^ — another of the 
countless victims of consumption. 

In person, Macdonough was tall and dignified. His com- 
plexion, hair, and eyes were light; his features were pleasing; 
and an air of resolution, indicative of his heroic soul, dis- 
tinguished him on all occasions. He was sincerely pious. 
Before going into battle, on the memorable 11th of September, 
he prayed at the head of his officers ; and, if we have faith in 
the interposition of Providence in behalf of a just cause, we 
must believe his petition was not without its influence on the 
day. 




ROBERT HENLEY. 



As second in command at the battle of Lake Champlain, 
Robert Henley will always be remembered gratefully by 
America. Though his bravery had been proved on pre- 
ceding occasions, it was put to a test in that desperate and 
decisive combat, which established it as of the true heroic 
order. 

Henley was a Virginian by birth, and connected with the 
family of Washington. His parents resided in James City 
county, where, on the 5th of January, 1783, he first drew 
breath. It was the orginal intention to educate him for the 
profession of the law, but he displayed such an aversion to 
this plan of life, and so hianifestly preferred the naval service, 
that his family, reluctantly^ yielding to his inclinations, pro- 

477 



4 78 ROBERT IIEXLET. 

cured for him, in 1799, a niidshipman's warrant. In con- 
templation of this favourite pursuit, he had, with an unusual 
energy for a lad of sixteen, applied himself to naval studies, 
so that, when he gained the darling object of his wishes, he 
was>not wholly unprepared for his new duties. 

He first served on board the Constellation thirty-eight. 
Commodore Truxtun. His attention to his j^i'ofession, his 
sagacity, his courage, and the unusual information he pos- 
sessed early attracted the attention of his comrades, and 
finally drew upon him the favourable notice of the commo- 
dore himself His high qualities were prominently exhibited 
in the remarkable action between the Constellation and La 
Vengeance, on the 1st of February, 1800. In this battle, 
the American frigate, which carried only thirty-eight guns, 
was matched against a French man-of-war mounting fifty- 
four. The combat began at eight o'clock in the evening, 
and continued until after midnight, when the two ships were 
separated by a squall. Twice, during the battle, La Vengeance 
struck, but the darkness of the night prevented this being 
seen, on which the French captain, believing that it was the 
intention to sink him, renewed the conflict. The enemy's 
vessel was thought to have foundered in the hurricane, as she 
could not be seen after it was over; but five days afterwards 
she arrived at Curacao, almost a wreck, her pumps having 
been going uninterruptedly since the fight. 

This, one of the most desperate naval actions on record, 
was the kind of a struggle to exhibit prominently the high 
qualities of Henley. Aware that the Constellation was 
engaged with an enemy vastly her superior, and convinced 
that only the most determined valour could obtain a victory, 
the young midshipman fought with a courage that inspired 
all within his reach, and thus contributed, in an unusual 
degree for one in so inferior a station, to the glorious result. 
In the most murderous crisis of the coftibat, he was foremost 
at his exposed post. Though nearly exhausted by fatigue, 



ROBERT HENLEY. 470 

he never, for a moment, left his station. His gallant 
behaviour attracted the particular notice of Truxtun, who, 
when the action was over, pointing to him, exclaimed, " That 
stripling is destined to be a brave officer." To have won 
such praise, from such a source, when but a lad of seventeen, 
stimulated Henley throughout his whole future career, and 
in part secured him the renown which this commendation by 
the commodore predicted. 

On his return to the United States, at the close of the 
French war, Henley obtained leave of absence, and, repairing 
to Williamsburgh, in his native State, attended there a course 
of lectures on navigation and science. Not satisfied with a 
reputation for courage, he was ambitious of shining in the more 
intellectual walks of his profession. The government, aware 
of his merit, soon appointed him to the command of a gun-boat 
at Norfolk, with the rank of a lieutenant. This was, in his 
case, a compliment ; but he longed for more active service. 
He continued, for several years, employed in this and similar 
situations, while others, more fortunate, were winning undying 
laurels in the war with Tripoli. At last, the threatened 
hostilities with Great Britain broke out, and Henley, who 
had long desired an opportunity to distinguish himself, saw 
in this event a possibility of his wish being gratified. Nor 
was he disappointed. In July, 1813, he was advanced to the 
rank of master-commandant, and, in the following year, 
having been appointed to command the brig Eagle, on Lake 
Champlain, had the good fortune to be second in command 
in the eventful battle of the 11th of September, 1814. 

For this decisive victory the credit of the nation was in- 
debted,- after Macdonough, to Henley. The Eagle was 
placed at the head of the American line of battle, was the 
first vessel to open on the foe, and for a while received almost 
the entire fire of the advancing fleet. Later in the action, 
Henley's brig was exposed to the fire of two of the enemy's 
principal vessels, and for so long a time that the springs on 



480 ROBERT HENLEY. 

her cables were shot away. Finding that he could not bring 
his broadsides to bear, Henley, who had run his topsail-yards, 
with the sails stopped, to the mastheads, before engaging, 
sheeted home his topsails, cast the brig, and running down, 
anchored by the stern, between Macdonough's vessel and the 
Ticonderoga, necessarily a little in-shore of both. Here he 
opened his fire afresh, and with terrible effect. When the 
battle closed, it was found that the Eagle had lost thirteen 
killed and twenty wounded ; a number that proportionably 
equalled the loss on board even Macdonough's ship, and 
evinced the desperate manner in which Henley had fought 
his brig. The Eagle was hulled thirty-nine- times in the 
action; another fact indicative of her exposed situation. In 
a word, by his behaviour in this struggle, Henley had 
verified the prediction of his old commodore, Truxtun. 

Macdonough, in his official despatches, did not forget the 
conduct of his second in command. "To Captain Robert 
Henley," he wrote, "of the brig Eagle, much is to be as- 
cribed; his courage was conspicuous, and I most earnestly 
recommend him as worthy of the highest respect and confi- 
dence." Congress, as some manifestation of its approval, 
voted to Henley a gold medal, commemorative of the victory 
of Champlain. The same body also passed a vote of thanks 
to him. His countrymen unanimously extolled him, and 
sanctioned these marks of approval, declaring that, while 
Macdonough had set the example of victory, Henley had 
ably seconded him. In a word,, the fame which Henley had 
acquired more than equalled his brightest visions, and he, 
who had so long deplored the want of a favourable opportu- 
nity, now acknowledged that Fortune had fully compensated 
him for her delay. 

After the battle of Lake Champlain, Henley resided, for a 
time, at Norfolk. Subsequently he was promoted to the 
rank of post-captain. In 1827, he was appointed to the 
Hornet, a sloop-of-war, and ordered to cruise in the West 



ROBERT HENLEY. 481 

Indies, On his return from this voyage, he was stationed in 
North Carolina, where he remained several years. He was 
next ordered to Charleston, South Carolina. But his life 
was now drawing to a close. In 1829, he died in command 
at his new post, lamented not less by the navy in general 
than by his fellow citizens among whom he had but lately 
removed. 

The personal appearance of Henley was noble and com- 
manding. In temperament he was sanguine and ardent ; his 
character chivalrous; and in manners affable, frank, and 
warm-hearted. He was as generous as brave; and though 
quick to take offence, easy to be appeased. He was mag- 
nanimous, he was hospitable, a devoted patriot, and the idol 
of his crews. 



n- 




STEPHEN CASSIN. 



Another prominent hero of the battle of Lake Champlain 
was Stephen Cassin, who, on that memorable day, was third 
in rank in the American squadron. The gallant manner in 
which he fought his vessel on that occasion, not only ex- 
torted the commendation of the commodore, but made his 
name famous throughout every State of the Union. 

Cassin was born in Philadelphia, on the 16th of February, 
1783, and was the son of John Cassin, a commodore in the 
infant navy of the United States. Like the younger Decatur, 
our hero adopted his father's profession, and in 1801, having 
obtained a midshipman's warrant the preceding year, made 
his first cruise in the Philadelphia thirty-eight. On board 
this vessel he served two years, when he left her for the 
Nautilus, a schooner of sixteen guns, which had been ordered 
to the Mediterranean, there to form part of Preble's squadron. 
By this fortunate transfer he escaped capture in the Phila- 
delphia, and the long and rigorous imprisonment which her 
482 



STEPHEN CASSIN. 485 

officers and crew endured. He continued actively employed 
in the Nautilus for nearly two years, when he was removed 
to the John Adams twenty-eight, with the rank of a lieu- 
tenant. 

On his return to the United States, which followed soon 
after this promotion, Cassin obtained leave of absence from 
the department, and embarked for the Pacific as master of 
a merchant-ship. During this voyage he was captured by 
the SjDaniards, and detained a prisoner for nearly two years. 
Reaching his native land at last, he was appointed to the 
Chesapeake thirty-six, Captain Hull, in which vessel he 
made several cruises. The moments of peace are not those, 
however, in which a naval officer can distinguish himself, 
and hence the life of Cassin for many years presented ho 
event worthy of our notice. He showed himself, however, 
on all occasions, a competent seaman, a good officer, and a 
brave mail. 

When, however, hostilities broke out between Great Bri- 
tain and the United States, a new career opened to Cassin. 
Appointed to the Ticonderoga, of seventeen guns, the. third 
vessel in size in the American squadron on Lake Champlain, 
he participated prominently in the battle of the 11th of Sep- 
tember, 1814, manoeuvring and fighting his schooner with 
the greatest skill and resolution. In the line of battle, as at 
first formed, the Ticonderoga was third, the Eagle being first, 
and the Saratoga second; but during the progress of the 
action, this order became materially changed. At one period 
of the struggle, the Ticonderoga was exposed, for some time, 
to a combined attack of the enemy's galleys. This happened 
after the Preble, of seven guns, which originally brought up 
the rear of the line, had been driven out of the action, and 
compelled to anchor considerably in-shore, where she was of 
Ho more service during the conflict. By this success on the 
part of the British, the American rear became the weakest 
part of the line, a circumstance which emboldened the 



486 STEPHEN CASSIN. 

enemy's galleys to assail the Ticonderoga with the greatest 
fury, hoping to compel her to imitate the Preble's flight. 

But the Ticonderoga was not only a vessel ©f far greater 
size than the Preble, but had for her commander a hero who 
was resolute to conquer or die. During the entire attack 
upon his schooner, Cassin walked the taffrail, watching the 
movements of the enemy's galleys, and directing discharges 
of bags of musket-balls and other light missiles on the assail- 
ants. Showers of canister and grape rained around, yet he 
maintained his exposed position notwithstanding, effectually 
keeping the enemy at bay. Several times the English 
galleys dashed up so close to the Ticonderoga, that scarcely 
the length of a boat-hook intervened between them and the 
schooner, and their crews, rising from the sweeps, stood up 
in readiness to board ; but the calm and steady eye of Cassin, 
which detected the weakest points of the assailants, and the 
resolute courage with which his men plied their missiles of 
destruction under his orders, always repelled the British in 
time. Every attempt of the enemy to carry the Ticonderoga 
by boarding was thus frustrated, and the rear of -the Ameri- 
can line preserved in consequence unbroken. But for this 
successful defence of Cassin, the victory, notwithstanding the 
heroic efforts of Macdonough and Henley, would have been 
greatly endangered, and even probably lost. 

The commodore, in his official despatches, noticed the 
conduct of Cassin in handsome terms. He said: "The 
Ticonderoga, Lieutenant Commandant Cassin, gallantly 
sustained her full share of the action." A higher compli- 
ment still was the selection of Cassin, by Macdonough, to 
carry the captured flags, and also the despatches describing the 
victory, to Washington. Throughout the nation there was a 
universal sentiment of admiration at the manner in which Cas- 
sin had defended the rear of the American line, and wherever 
the young officer appeared, both during his journey and after- 
wards, he was received with the utmost enthusiasm. In the 



STEPHEN CASSIN. 487 

victorious squadron also, the deportment of Cassin and of his 
brave crew was the theme of general remark. Congress, in 
distributing the laurels of triumph, did not forget the young 
lieutenant, but presented him with a gold medal, similar to 
those bestowed on Macdonough and Henley. He was also 
promoted to the rank of master-commandant, his- commission 
being made to date from the day of the battle. 

The loss of the Ticonderoga in the action was six killed 
and six wounded. As her crew consisted of one hundred 
and ten souls, she suffered relatively less than either the 
Saratoga or the Eagle. The former, with a crew of two 
hundred and twelve, had twenty-eight killed and twenty- 
nine wounded ; and the latter, with a crew of one hundred 
and fifty, had thirteen killed and. twenty wounded. This 
comparative immunity of the Ticonderoga arose from the 
fact that, instead of being under the fire of the batteries of 
heavier ships, as the Eagle and Saratoga were, she was, for 
most of the action, exposed only to the assaults of galleys. 
Had the latter indeed succeeded in boarding her, the slaughter 
would probably have surpassed that on bog-rd either of the 
other ships; and it is to the credit of Cassin that this was not 
allowed to occur. The greater loss of men in the Saratoga 
and Eagle is not therefore a proof that they were better 
fought. Where all, moreover, behaved so well, it would be 
invidious to draw distinctions. 

After the declaration of peace, which ensued within the 
six months following this victory, Cassin was, for some time, 
unemployed. He subsequently was promoted, in due order, 
to the rank of post-captain, and commanded at the Rhode 
Island station, at Newport. Afterwards, the navy-yard at 
Washington was intrusted to him. At this post he remained 
five years. His residence, when not employed, was in the 
vicinity of the capital of the nation, where his amiable and 
courteous deportment, united to the reputation he so nobly 
won, drew about him a large circle of friends. 




CHAELES STEWAET. 



Prominent among the naval heroes of the United States is 
Charles Stewart* His services- during the war with France, 
his gallantry in the attacks on TrijDoli, and his capture of the 
Cyane and Levant in the war of 1812, will ever be remem- 
bered by a grateful country. Few naval captains have been 
engaged successfully in so many actions; for of him, as of 
Marlborough, it may be said, " He never fought a battle which 
he did not win." 

The parents of Stewart came originally from Ireland, and 
settled at Philadelphia. In that city the future hero was 
born, on the 28th of July, 1778, about a month after the 
British army had evacuated the place. Before the lad had 
reached his second year, his father was suddenly cut off by 
death, and the mother found herself left almost penniless, 
with eight children to support. Of these, the subject of our 
memoh' was the youngest. The war, moreover, still lingered. 

The prices of almost everj^ article were enormous, and money 

488 




CEABUS BT£WABT. 



CHARLES STEWART. 491 

was constantly depreciating in value. Under such circum- 
stances, most women, situated as Mrs. Stewart was, would 
have despaired. But, possessing uncommon energy of charac- 
ter, and a firm trust in the protecting mercy of Heaven, she 
met the difficulties before her with a cheerful spirit, and, as 
is ever the case in similar circumstances, triumphed signally 
over them. She not only kept her family together, but gave 
the children a good English education, and, what was still 
better, trained them to habits of virtue, thrift, self-reliance, 
and industry. 

Her youngest child having early showed a predilection for 
the sea, this admirable woman procured for him, when he was 
about thirteen, a situation in the merchant-service, where, 
profiting by her lessons, he rose steadily through the several 
grades, from the situation of a cabin-boy to the command of 
an Indiaman. When he attained this last elevation he was 
still under age. The breaking out of the war with France, 
and the consequent opening for talent in the navy, directed 
his attention, about this time, to the service of the United 
States. Accordingly, he sought for and obtained a lieutenancy 
in the navy. This was in March, 1798, when Stewart was 
not quite twenty years of age. He soon after joined the 
frigate United States, Commodore Barry, which, in July of 
the same year, went to sea on her first cruise. Some of the 
most gallant spirits in the service were then on board the 
United States; among others, Decatur, the future hero of 
Tripoli. The frigate first cruised- to the eastward, but after- 
wards, in company with the Delaware twenty, and the Herald 
eighteen, sailed for the West Indies, where she performed 
valuable service in protecting our commerce. During the 
autumn, two privateers, the Sans Pareil sixteen, and Jaloux 
fourteen, were captured, and sent in. But no opportunity 
occurred by which the United States could measure herself 
with a foe of equal prowess, and consequently Stewart was 
deprived of the chance of distinction he so ardently desired. 



492 CHARLES STEWART. 

Nevertheless the assiduity of the young officer, his evident 
fondness f )r his profession, and the indomitable energy which 
was observable in all his actions, recommended him to the 
favourable esteem of Barry, and, through the commodore, to 
the notice of the department. ' Accordingly, in July, 1800, 
Stewart was promoted to a separate command, being appointed 
to the schooner Experiment, of twelve guns. His destination, 
in his new vessel, was his old cruising ground, the West 
Indies. Fortune favoured him from the first moment when 
he began to act for himself On the night of the 1st of 
September, he fell in wdth the French armed schooner, the 
Two Friends, of eight guns ; and, after a combat which- lasted 
scarcely ten minutes, captured her. Soon after, being short 
of water, he went into Prince Rupert's Bay, St. Domingo, 
w^here an incident occurred that proved him possessed of 
high merit as well as physical courage. The Experiment 
was still lying at anchor when two British sloops-of-war, each 
mounting twenty guns, arrived also at Prince Rupert's. On 
board of one of these ships was an American seaman, Amos 
Seeley, who had been impressed in England. The sailor, 
seeing the flag of his native country, resolved to seek its 
protection, and, accordingly, addressed a letter to Stewart, 
soliciting the interference of the latter in his behalf Stewart, 
having satisfied himself that the man was really an American, 
opened a correspondence upon the subject with the captain 
of the ship. The courteous tone in which the epistle was 
couched led to a personal interview. Here the address of 
Stewart was exhibited in a striking manner. Representing 
the hardship of stealing the man from his family, and 
silencing every argument which the British officer brought 
forward, he adroitly compelled the latter either to deliver 
the sailor, or resort to physical force to retain him. After 
the courtesies which had passed, the latter could not well 
have been defended. The British captain still hesitated, 
averring that he feared censure at home, for the man had 



CHARLES STEWART. ' 493 

been impressed as an Englishman. "Then prove him an 
Englishman," said Stewart, "and. I saj no more: but you 
cannot, while I can prove him to be an American." The 
interview here ended. But Seelej was surrendered, and en- 
tered on board the Experiment. 

On the 30th of September, soon after leaving Prince 
Rupert's, and while cruising under the lee of the island of 
Bermuda, Stewart discovered two sail in pursuit of him, with 
English colours tiying. The Experiment continued lying to, 
with the British signal of the day flying, until the strangers 
approached within gun-shot, when, finding one to be a brig-: 
of-war of eighteen guns, and the other a three-masted schoon- 
er of fourteen guns, and that they would not answer the 
signal, Stewart determined to retreat from such superior 
force, and avail himself of any opportunity that might offer 
for cutting off one of the vessels. It was soon discovered 
that the Experiment could outsail either of the foe, and after 
a fruitless chase of two hours, on the wind, the latter gave 
up the pursuit, hoisted French colours, fired a gun of defiance 
to windward, and ke23t off before the wind. The Experiment 
being now satisfied of their character and force, manoeuvred 
to gain their wake to windward, and thus became the pur- 
suer in turn. The brig was now about a league ahead of the 
schooner, so that the latter was entirely in Stewart's power. 
Accordingly, he cleared for action, and closed with the foe by 
running up on her weather-quarter, and giving her a broad- 
side. The attack was so vigorous that the enemy, unable to 
resist it, almost immediately surrendered. Throwing Lieu- 
tenant Porter into the prize, Stewart promptly made sail 
after the brig : but the latter had, meantime, gained so much 
that the Experiment could not overtake her. The captured 
schooner proved to be the Diana, Captain Peraudeau, having 
on board General Rigaud, with some invalid soldiers, and a 
crew of sixty-five men. The prize was carried into St. 
Kitts. This brilliant success was entirely owing to the bold- 



494 CHARLES STETVART. 

iiess of Stewart's manoeuvres, for the brig, if she had turned 
t( J meet him, was of sufficient force to have taken the Experi- 
ment in a few minutes. 

Having disposed of his prisoners, Stewart repaired again 
to his cruising station, where he recaptured a number of 
American vessels from the French, and thus rescued a hirge 
amount of property. On the sixteenth of November, he 
made a suspicious sail, to which he gave chase until dark. 
(Calculating the courses and distances, he ordered the Experi- 
ment to be kept in the required direction until midnight, 
when, if he did not close with the stranger, he intended to 
abandon the chase. At that hour, the schooner was hauled 
by the wind, accordingly; but, in a few hiinutes, a sail was 
made out quite near, and to windward. The Experiment 
immediately went to quarters, ran up under the stranger's 
lee, and hailed; but finding the other vessel indisposed to 
give an answer, Stewart ordered a gun fired, which was re- 
turned by a broadside. A sharp action now began, but, it 
blowing heavily, and the schooner lying over, it was found 
impossible to depress the guns sufficiently to hull the enemy. 
Planks were now cut and placed beneath the trucks of the 
gun-carriages. The shot of the Experiment, after this, told 
with terrJMe effect. Soon her antagonist struck. Lieute- 
nant Porter was now directed to take possession of the prize, 
but, on getting alongside, he was refused permission to board. 
As soon as this was known in the schooner, the boat was 
directed to pull out of the line of fire, with a view to recom- 
mence the action, when the stranger hailed to say he sub- 
mitted. The vessel proved to be an English privateer, the 
Louisa Bridger, out of Bermuda, with an armament of eight 
nine-pounders, and a crew of between forty and fifty men. 
She was much cut up, and had four feet water in her hold 
when she surrendered. Her captain was among the wounded. 
Stewart, as soon as he discovered his mistake, did every 
thing he possibly could to remedy the disaster, the Experi- 



CHARLES STEWART. 495 

ment lying by her the whole of the next day, assisting in 
repairing damages. She then proceeded on her cruise, while 
Stewart returned to St. Kitts. The Experiment lost, in this 
action, one man killed and a boy wounded, and received 
considerable injury in her rigging. 

Truxtun, who w^as now the senior officer in the West 
Indies, shortly after ordered Stewart to proceed with a 
convoy from Martinique to the island of St. Thomas, and 
thence to Curacoa, to look for the United States brig Picker- 
ing and frigate Insurgent, both of which were missing, and 
supposed to be lost. Nothing, however, could be heard of 
either of these vessels; the fears respecting them proved to 
be true; both had foundered in the equinoctial gale, with a 
store-ship under their care, and all on board the three vessels 
had perished. Leaving Curacoa, after her fruitless search, 
the Experiment proceeded towards Norfolk ; but while stand- 
ing in for the Mona passage, discovered a vessel in distress, 
on the reef off Saona island. The wreck proved to be filled 
with fugitives, flying from the siege of St. Domingo, as we 
have already narrated in our sketch of Porter. After con- 
ducting the survivors to St. Domingo, the Experiment pro- 
ceeded to Norfolk, where, the war being now over, the 
schooner was sold out of the service. In the re-organization 
of the navy, which now ensued, Stewart was one of the 
thirty-six lieutenants retained. Nor was he suffered to remain 
unemployed. Almost immediately on landing he was placed 
in charge of the frigate Chesapeake, then lying in ordinary, 
at Norfolk, in which capacity he remained until the spring 
of 1802. 

In March of this year, the Constellation, Captain Murray, 
being about to sail for the Mediterranean, in order to take 
part in the war against Tripoli, Stewart was ordered to join 
her in the capacity of first lieutenant. The cruise was a 
short and uneventful one. In the early part of 1803 the 
Constellatioiv. returned to the United States, when Stewart 



496 CHARLES STEWART. 

was appointed to the command of the Siren, a brig of sixteen 
guns, then building at Philadelphia. This promotion gratified 
the young hero's brightest wish. He foresaw that many 
opportunities of distinction would necessarily occur before the 
war was over, especially to those in the enjoyment of a sepa- 
rate command ; and, desirous to participate as soon as possible 
in the glorious struggle, he made almost incredible exertions 
to get the Siren to sea. In seven days, accordingly, after 
the brig was launched, Stewart was ready to sail, her copper- 
ing having only consumed ten hours, and her other prepa- 
rations being executed as rapidly. After convoying some 
merchant vessels, and carrying the consular presents to 
Algiers, Stewart proceeded to Syracuse, where he met the 
squadron under Preble. Here he received the sad intelli- 
gence of the capture of the Philadelphia. The chivalrous 
Decatur had already projected the burning of that frigate, 
and the Siren was sent, by the commodore, to assist in the 
enterprise. Accordingly, while the Intrepid entered the har- 
bour, the Siren lay off its mouth, to cover the retreat of the 
daring adventurers — a duty which was gallantly performed. 
After this successful expedition, the Siren, Vixen, Enter- 
prise, and Nautilus, all under the command of Stewart, were 
employed, by Preble's orders, in blockading Tripoli and her 
adjacent harbours. During the blockade, Stewart exhibited 
fresh proofs of his gallantry and courage. He frequently 
led his little fleet to the attack of the batteries and flotilla, 
partly to accustom the crew to the fire of the enemy, and 
partly to force the Tripolitans to expend their ammunition. 
On one of these occasions he destroyed -two batteries, which 
the enemy had erected to the westward of the city for the 
protection of the coasting trade. When, subsequently, Preble 
himself appeared before Tripoli, and began the bombardment 
of the town and castle, Stewart continued to distinguish 
himself, especially in the memorable assault of the 3d of 
August. Throughout the entire series of operations that 



CHARLES STEWART. 497 

followed, he gained successively new laurels. Nor did go- 
vernment suffer his services to go unrewarded. For his 
conduct during the blockade, he was promoted to the rank 
of master-commandant, and removed from the Siren to the 
frigate Essex. In this vessel, after the conclusion of the 
Tripolitan war, he proceeded, with the squadron under 
Commodore Rodgers, to Tunis, there to check a rising disposi- 
tion in that power to begin hostilities on the United States. 
A council having been called on board the conmiodore's ship, 
at which the principal officers of the fleet were invited, the 
opinion of Stewart was adopted, and, as a consequence, peace 
preserved. It is said that when the despatches of this affair 
reached the United States, and the advice of Stewart became 
known, Mr. Jefferson expressed publicly his satisfaction that 
the service possessed an officer who united to personal 
skill and bravery such a thorough knowledge of international 
law and of the policy of his government. The difficulty with 
Tunis being adjusted, Stewart took command of the Constel- 
lation and returned to the United States. 

On the 22d of April, 1806, Stewart received his long- 
coveted commission of po§t-captain. In the natural sequence 
of seniority, he would have attained this rank before Decatur, 
had not the latter, by his destruction of the Philadelphia, 
leaped over all intermediate grades. To the honour of 
Stewart, he never complained, though thus supplanted : he 
only regretted the absence of opportunities to achieve some 
deed similar to Decatur's. During 1806, and the following 
year, Stewart was employed at New York, in superintending 
the construction of gun-boats. When this duty terminated, as 
no other command offered, he solicited a furlough, to enable 
him to engage in the mercantile marine ; and, during several 
following years, made numerous voyages to the East Indies, 
the Mediterranean, and the Adriatic. In this partial deser- 
tion of the service, during a period of inactivity and peace, 
Stewart had at that day many imitators, though the prece- 



498 CHARLES STEWART. 

dent is one that could not be followed now. The want of em- 
ployment, and the necessary expenses of a family, must be the 
excuses for a practice that cannot but lower, in a measure, the 
tone of the service. Some time before the war of 1812 broke 
out, however, he permanently abandoned the mercantile 
marine. When hostilities actively began, he was fortunately 
at home, and to his interference, in conjunction with that of 
Bainbridge, is to be attributed the reversal of the original 
cabinet order, not to suffer our national vessels to go to sea. 
Stewart, however, was not able to obtain a command suited 
to his wishes for several months, but was compelled to remain 
on shore, while Hull, Decatur, and Bainbridge were winning 
immortal laurels. At last, in December, 1812, he was ap- 
pointed to the Constellation thirty-eight, then repairing at 
Washington. 

In the ensuing month, the frigate being ready for sea, 
Stewart dropped down the river; but when he reached St. 
Mary's, he received an order that induced him to go to 
Annapolis, in order to examine his powder. From this 
place he was directed to Norfolk. The day after he had 
anchored in Hampton roads, a fleet of the enemy hove in 
sight; and as he had no hope of success in an engagement, 
a retreat became indispensable. As it was calm with him, 
he kedged his frigate towards Norfolk. Meantime, the 
British vessels approached rapidly, bringing a breeze with 
them'; but when off Willoughbj^'s Point, the wind died away, 
and, the tide beginning to ebb, they were compelled to anchor. 
The Constellation, however, was kedged up to the flats oppo- 
site Sowell's Point, where she lay aground for the rest of the 
day. The time was not lost, nevertheless, for Stewart, 
pressing the river-craft into his service, lightened his vessel. 
He also, prepared for burning the frigate, in case the enemy, 
bv a revival of the breeze, or by kedging, should overtake 
him. But, fortunately, no such crisis arose. At eight o'clock, 
p. M., the flood tide made, when the Constellation floated, 



CHARLES STEWART. 49^ 

and, before three hours, was safely moored between forts 
Norfolk and Nelson. Here she remained for some thne, and, 
when the enemy attacked Craney Island, contributed ma- 
terially to his repulse, and thus assisted to save Norfolk and 
its dependencies from pillage and burning. 

Stewart, though foiled in this attempt to get to sea, was 
more successful in the following year. In the summer of 
1813, he was appointed to the Constitution, then undergoing 
repairs at Boston. In December he sailed. The cruise, 
however, was not marked by any brilliant event. He first 
shaped his course for the coasts of Georgia and South 
Carolina, from whence he proceeded to the vicinity of the 
Bermuda Islands. In the course of his voyage, he destroyed, 
however, a brig of sixteen guns, the Picton ; a merchant-ship 
of ten guns ; the brig Catharine ; and the schooner Phoenix. 
He also chased several British ships of war. In the Mona 
passage, he met the frigate La Pique, and endeavoured to 
overtake her, but did not succeed, in consequence of the worn- 
out condition of the Constitution's sails. This failure deter- 
mined him to return to Boston, in order to replace his old canvas 
with new. Accordingly, he shaped his course for the North. 
But, before he reached his port, he fell in with the British 
frigates the Junon and La Nymphe, each of fifty guns, 
sailing in company. The enemy immediately gave chase, 
and for some time the result was doubtful. Stewart, finding 
himself hard pressed, threw overboard the provisions and 
started the water. Yet still the enemy gained on him. One 
of the frigates was already within three miles. But at this 
point, a lucky change took place. The breeze favoured the 
Constitution: she slowly drew ahead; and once more the 
enemy began to be at a safe distance. Finally, the good 
fortune which had always attended the Constitution re- 
turned to her, and, in the end, she escaped from her two 
adversaries, and arrived safely at Marblehead, in Massachu- 
setts. This was in April, 1813. Soon after, Stewart took 

33 



500 CHARLES STEWART. 

his ship into Boston, where she underwent a thorough 
repair. 

After remaining in port nearly eight months, the Consti- 
tution sailed, on the 17th of December, on a new cruise. She 
first ran off Bermuda, thence shaped her course to Madeira, 
and afterwards beat up the Bay of Biscay. Finding no suc- 
cess in these places, she went off the Rock of Lisbon, whgre 
she made two prizes, one of which was destroyed, and the 
other sent in. A fortunate circumstance, connected with one 
of these captures, deserves notice, because adding another to 
the chain of lucky events which ever surrounded the Consti- 
tution. On the morning when Stewart made his last prize, 
a large ship was seen, to which chase was immediately given ; 
but before the strange sail could be made out, a second one, 
promising a speedier reward, was discerned. While engaged 
in securing this, the other made off. The sail w\as subse- 
quently discovered to have been the Elizabeth seventy-four, 
and, if Stewart had not been diverted from her pursuit, he 
would inevitably have become her prey. This line-of-battle 
ship, on her subsequent arrival at Lisbon, learning that the 
Constitution was off the coast, hastened to go out in pursuit 
of her. But Stewart, in the mean time, had stood to the 
southward and westward, in search of an enemy in that di- 
rection, and thus fortunately escaped. 

The ambitious longings of the hero, so long thwarted, were 
now to be gratified. On the morning of the 20th of Febru- 
ary, 1814, Stewart, findhig nothing where he was, put up 
his helm, and ran the ship oft' southwest about fifty miles. 
A light wind was blowing from the east, with a cloudy 
sky, when, about one P. m., a strange sail was seen on the 
larboard bow, to which chase was immediately given. Soon 
after, another sail was discerned ; and both were soon made 
out to be enemies. Stewart immediately attacked them. 
The larger of the two, after an action of about forty minutes, 
struck ; when the other, despairing of victory, made sail to 



CHARLES STEWART. 503 

escape. The Constitution, however, after manning her prize, 
pursued the flying vessel, and, after a chase of half an hour, 
overtook and captured her also. The prizes proved to be 
the Cyane, mounting thirty-four guns, with a crew of one 
hundred and sixty-eight persons ; and the Levant, carrying 
twenty-one guns, with a crew of one hundred and sixty 
persons. The two British vessels los.t, together, thirty-five 
killed and forty-two wounded. The Constitution lost but 
three killed, and had only twelve wounded. This brilliant 
victory was announced to the Secretary of the Navy in a 
modest letter, accompanied by the following minutes of the 
action. 

" Commences with light breezes from the east, and cloudy 
weather. At one p. m., discovered a sail two points on the 
larboard bow — hauled up, and made sail in chase. At a 
quarter past one, made the sail to be a ship ; at three-quarters 
past one, discovered another sail ahead ; made them out, at 
two, to be both ships, standing close-hauled, with their 
starboard tacks on board; at four, the weathermost ship 
made signals, and bore up for her consort, then about ten 
miles to leeward ; we bore up after her, and set lower top- 
mast, top-gallant and royal studding-sails, in chase ; at half- 
past four, carried away our main royal-mast; took in the 
sails, and got another prepared. At five, commenced firing 
on the chase from our two larboard-bow guns; our shot 
falling short, ceased firing : at half-past five, finding it impos- 
sible to prevent their junction, cleared ship for action, then 
about four miles from the two ships ; and forty minutes past 
five, they passed within hail of each other, and hauled by 
the wind on the starboard tack, hauled up their courses, and 
prepared to receive us : at forty-five minutes past five, they 
made all sail close hauled by the wind, in hopes of getting 
to windward of us ; at fifty-five minutes past five, finding 
themselves disappointed in their object, and we were closing 
with them fast, they shortened sail, and formed on a line of 



504 CHARLES STETTART. 

wind, about half a cable's length of each other; at six, 
having them under command of our battery, hoisted our 
colours, which was answered by both ships hoisting English 
ensigns; at five minutes past six, ranged uj) on the starboard 
side of the sternmost ship, about three hundred yards distant, 
and commenced the action by broadsitj,es, both ships return- 
ing our fire with great spirit for about fifteen minutes ; then 
the fire of the enemy beginning to slacken, and the great 
column of smoke collected under our lee, induced us to cease 
our fire to ascertain their positions and conditions : in about 
three minutes, the smoke clearing away, we found ourselves 
abreast of the headmost ship; the sternmost ship luffed up 
for our larboard quarter; we poured a broadside into the 
headmost ship, and then braced aback our main and mizzen 
topsails, and backed astern under cover of the smoke, abreast 
the sternmost shij), when the action was continued with 
spirit and considerable effect, until thirty-five minutes past 
six, when the enemy's fire again slackened, and we discover- 
ed the headmost bearing up; filled our topsails, shot ahead, 
and gave her two stern rakes; we then discovered the stern- 
most ship wearing also; wore ship immediately after her, 
and gave her a stern rake — she luffed to on our starboard 
bows, and gave us her larboard broadside : we ranged up on 
her larboard quarter within hail, and were about to give her 
our starboard broadside, when she struck her colours, fired a 
lee gun, and yielded. At fifty minutes past six, took posses- 
sion of his majesty's ship Cyane, Captain Gordon Falcon^ 
mounting thirty-four guns. At eight, filled away after her 
consort, which was still in sight to leeward. At half-past 
eight, found her standing towards us, with her starboard tacks 
close hauled, with topgallant sails set, and colours flying. 
At five minutes past eight, ranged close alongside to wind- 
ward of her, on opposite tacks, and exchanged broadsides — 
wore immediately under her stern, and raked her with a 
broadside: she then crowded all sail, and endeavoured to 



CHARLES STEWARI. 505 

escape by running: hauled on board our tacks, set spanker, 
and tiying-jib in chase. At half-past nine, commenced firing 
on her from our starboard-bow chaser; gave her several shot, 
which cut her spars and rigging considerably. At ten, find- 
ing she could not escape, fired a gun, struck her colours, and 
yielded. We immediately took possession of his majesty's 
ship Levant, Honourable Captain George Douglass, mounting 
twenty-one guns. At one A. M., the damages of our rigging 
were repaired, sails shifted, and the ship in fighting condi- 
tion." 

For a night combat, the execution on both sides was 
unusual in this battle. The manner in which Stewart 
handled his ship during the action excited the admiration 
even of* his enemies ; for when a single vessel engages two 
others, only the most skilful manoeuvring can prevent her 
being raked. In this action, however, the Constitution not 
only avoided this danger, but actually raked both her antago- 
nists. The manner in Avhich she backed and filled through 
the smoke, forcing her two opponents down to leeward, when 
they were endeavouring to cross her stern or forefoot, has 
been pronounced, by a high naval authority, one of the most 
brilliant feats of seamanship on record. But it w^as not 
merely the skill of the victorious commander which is to be 
commended : the bravery of the men was signally exhibited ; 
indeed, never before or sin«e have American seamen distin- 
guished themselves more honourably. A contemporary his- 
torian says : " The crew of the Constitution were all native- 
born, and as docile and obedient to the ordinary discipline 
of the service as they were intrepid in action. It w^ould be 
easy to mention a number of anecdotes of the heroic character 
of our common sailors. There are two, in this action, that 
are particularly striking. A man, by the name of Tobias 
Fernall, of Portsmouth, had his arm shattered by a ball : 
after the surgeon had amputated it, when he had taken up 
the arteries, and before the dressing was completed, the 



506 ' CHARLES STEWART. 

cheers on deck were heard for the surrender of the Cyane ; 
the brave fellow twitched the bleeding stump from the 
surgeon, and waved it, joining the cheers ! He is since dead. 
Another,' John Lancey, of Cape Ann, was brought below, 
one thigh shattered to pieces, and the other severely wound- 
ed; the surgeon said to him, 'My brave fellow, you are 
mortally wounded.' ' Yes, sir, I know it : I only want to hear 
that the other ship has struck.' Soon after, the cheers were 
given for the surrender of the Levant ; he raised his head, 
echoed the cheer, and expired a minute after. 

" The first signal from the Cyane to her consort was that 
the sail in sight was an American sloop-of-war ; afterwards, 
when they came within four miles of the Constitution, and 
the course was so altered that she discovered her br6adside, 
she made a signal that it was a heavy American frigate, 
superior to one of them, but inferior to both. The signal 
from the Levant to her consort was to join company. The 
Constitution Avas not able to prevent their junction. The 
action was invited on the part of the Constitution, by firing 
a signal shot across the bow of the Cyane. The two ships 
cheered, and fired their broadsides; after receiving both, she 
returned it, and such was the eagerness of the men to fire, 
that when the word was given, they discharged the whole 
broadside at the same instant. In commencing the action, 
there was perfect silence on board the Constitution — the 
cheers were returned when the ships surrendered. The 
weight of shot fired by the British ships was superior by about • 
ninety pounds, taking their shot at their nominal weight, 
though it was found, on weighing some of the English shot 
that came on board, that they weighed full thirty-two pounds, 
while the American of the same rate weighed only twenty- 
nine pounds ; the action was so close, that their carronades 
had their full power. One of their shot came through the 
side of the ship, killed one and wounded four men, and 
lodged in the galley; another killed two men in the waist, 



CHARLES STEWART. 507 

went through a boat in which two tigers were chained, and 
lodged in the head of a spar in the chains. In the action of 
the Guerriere, the Constitution was hulled three times; in 
that of the Java, four times ; and in this engagement, thir- 
teen times. The British ships were fully officered, and 
manned with picked men." 

Stewart proceeded to Port Praya, with his two prizes, 
arriving on the 10th of March. A vessel was immediately 
engaged as a cartel, and about a hundred of the prisoners 
landed, the same day, in order that they might assist to fit 
her for sea. The ensuing morning, preparations Avere 
resumed with vigour, but, about noon, a large sail was sud- 
denly discovered, louring above the fog that covered the 
harbour seaward. A few minutes after, two additional sail 
were seen, evidently heavy men-of-war. As there was every 
probability that the strangers were Englishmen, and as 
Stewart well knew that they would not respect a neutral 
port, he immediately ordered the cables to be cut, signalled 
the prizes to follow, and stood out to sea. In fourteen 
minutes after the first sail was seen, the little squadron was 
under way, the Constitution leading, under her three topsails. 
The American frigate, in going out, passed about, gun-shot 
to windward of the British fleet. Meantime, the prisoners 
on shore, rushing to the Portugese battery commanding the 
port, forcibly took possession of the guns, and opened a fire 
on the retreating squadron. Simultaneously, the English 
vessels, perceiving three ships leaving the harbour so uncere- 
moniously, divined the true state of affiiirs, and tacking, made 
all sail in chase. The Constitution, as soon as she cleared 
the land, crossed topgallant-yards, boarded her tacks, and 
set every thing that would draw. The chase now became 
animated to the last degree, but Stewart finally escaped, 
with the loss only of the Levant. 

Stewart, after his escape, proceeded with the Constitution 
to Maranham, in Brazil, where he landed his prisoners, and 



508 , CHARLES STEWART. 

refitted his vessel. He next stood for Porto Rico, which he 
reached hite in April. Here he learned for the first time 
that peace had been declared. He now shaped his course 
immediately for Boston, arriving there about the middle of 
May. The Cyane, as we have seen, had preceded him 
nearly a month, and his .return had been looked for since 
with the greatest eagerness. On his landing, he was wel- 
comed with enthusiasm. His journey to the capital of the 
nation w^as attended, at every stage, by demonstrations the 
most flattering. When he reached New York, the common 
council waited upon him with a tender of the freedom of the 
city, enclosed in a gold box, and, in addition, invited him 
and his officers to a public dinner. At Philadelphia, the 
legislature, then in session, voted him the thanks of the 
people of Pennsylvania, his native State, and presented 
him with a gold-hilted sword. Congress also displayed its 
gratitude, for when that body met, the thanks of the nation 
were bestowed on Stewart, besides a gold medal commemo- 
rative of his victory. It seemed, indeed, as if the people 
could scarcely find sufficient testimonials of their gratification. 
Hitherto, notwithstanding our naval victories, no single ship 
had captured, in any action, more than one man-of-war. It 
appeared as if fortune had reserved this crowning achieve- 
ment, by which two of the enemy's vessels were compelled 
to strike to our flag, for the conclusion of the war; and the 
public exultation was proportionate. 

The Constitution was now put out of commission, but 
Stewart was not allowed to remain idle. In 1816, he was 
appointed to the Franklin seventy-four, then just finished ; 
and, in the following year, he sailed in her, as the flag-ship 
of the Mediterranean squadron. He first touched at England, 
where he landed the Hon. Richard Rush, minister to the 
court of St. James, after which he proceeded to Gibraltar, 
and thence up the Straits. He remained on this station for 
three years, returning to the United States in 1820. His 



CnAFxLES STETTART. 509 

conduct in the Mediterranean bad been so judicious, however, 
that the government, wishing a competent person to com- 
mand in the Pacific, tendered him the charge of the fleet 
destined for that ocean. The Franklin was accordingly re- 
fitted, and, in 1821, Stewart sailed in her for bis new desti- 
nation. The disordered condition of South America, then 
torn by civil wars, rendered this command, as had been 
foreseen, equally important and delicate. It was not always 
easy to protect our commerce without involving the flag, or 
to preserve neutrality without oflending covetous traders. 
Stewart, however, brought his usual ability to bear on his new 
situation, and, though met continually by unforeseen diffi- 
culties, triumphed in the end over all. It became necessary, 
occasionallj^, in the execution of his duty, to give offence to 
many persons: and though Stewart managed with the utmost 
prudence consistent with justice, he made enemies necessarily. 
Malignant representations found their way to the United 
States, and, on his return, he was arrested and summoned 
before a court-martial. His trial, however, resulted in a 
triumphant acquittal. On his arrival in Philadelphia, after 
safely passing this ordeal, he was received enthusiastically, 
and a public dinner given to him, by the citizens, in appro- > 
bation of his conduct in the Pacific. 

His services, since that period, have been confined to the 
shore, except for a short j)eriod in 1837, when he carried 
from Philadelphia to Norfolk the line-of-battle ship Pennsyl- 
vania, the largest man-of-war ever built in the United States. 
He has, more than once, commanded at the Philadelphia 
Navy Yard, has been a member of the Board of Navy Com- 
missioners, and has served on numerous court-martials. 
When not in active employment, his time is spent on his 
farm, near Bordentown, N. J. On one occasion, his name 
was seriously proposed as a candidate for the Presidency ; 
and had he been taken up, it is more than probable he would 
.have been elected. Nor could any man, perhaps, have been 



510 CHARLES STEWART 

taken from the navy better qualified to assume the executive 
chair. The career of Stewart, at every stage, exhibits 
higher qualities than those of mere seamanship — qualities of 
intellect and character that are the true safeguards of a 
nation, when possessed by its head. 

In youth, Stewart was eminently prepossessing in appear-' 
ance. His hair was of a chestnut-colour ; his eyes blue ; his 
countenance bold and heroic in expression ; his figure well 
proportioned; and his carriage erect, dignified, and command- 
ing. His mind is vigorous and well-disciplined. In courage 
he has never been surpassed. His bravery, however, is less 
impetuous than that of Decatur, and more under the control 
of his judgment: it is the calm courage of the son of the 
North, rather than the impulsive heroism of the child of the 
South. His purposes, when once formed, are, as a conse- 
quence of this cast of character, inflexible. Fortunately, his 
passions are perfectly under his control, and his actions are 
ever regulated by a consummate judgment: in a word, he 
is as just as he is firm, and as wise as he is brave. 




BLDDLE BOARDING THE FROUC. 



JAMES BIDDLE. 



This celebrated officer was one of the few naval com- 
manders who have combined accurate seamanship with the 
acquirements of the scholar. Brave as the bravest, he was 
yet accomplished with the most accomplished. It was his 
good fortune, alsOj to participate in some of the most import- 
ant nq,val affairs of his day. 

James Biddle was born at Philadelphia, on the 18th of 
February, 1783, of a family conspicuous, both then and 
since, in the annals of the country. His education was 
received at the University of Pennsylvania. In his eighteenth 
year he sought and obtained a midshipman's warrant in the 
navy of the United States; and in September, 1800, made 
his first voyage, on board the frigate President, then belonging 
to the West India Station. The cruise, however, was of 
short duration. Without having met an enemy, the Presi- 
dent returned to port early in 1801. Immediately afterwards, 
the war with France having been terminated, the navy was 
reduced to a peace establishment. 

Biddle, however, was retained on the list of midshipmen, 

and, in 1802, was ordered to the Constellation, Captain 

513 



514 JAMES BIDDLE. 

Murray, then about to sail for the Mediterranean. The 
voyage occupied about a year. In the spring of 1803, 
Biddle returned to the United States. But he was not long 
permitted to remain without employment. Indeed,, at that 
period, the number of officers in the navy was comparatively 
so small, that almost constant service was the lot of all. 
Having been transferred to the Philadelphia, Captain Bairi- 
bridge, the young midshipman left his native country again 
in July, 1803. 

But he was not destined, on this occasion, to return for 
many years. On the 31st of October, 1803, the Philadelphia, 
when ofif the harbour of Tripoli, struck upon a rock not 
laid down in the chart. Every effort made to get her off 
failed. Meantime, the gun-boats of the enemy, surrounding 
the unmanageable ship, and choosing positions where they 
Were safe from her broadside, assailed her with a murderous 
and incessant fire. There was no resource but to surrender, 
and, with many vain regrets, find many a foreboding of the 
future, Bainbridge finally consented to haul down his flag, 
and render himself and crew prisoners to the barbarians. 
Accordingly the colours were struck, and a boat despatched 
to the nearest vessel of the enemy to inform him of the 
surrender. The command of this boat was given to Lieu- 
tenant David Porter, and Midshipman Biddle was ordered 
to accompany him. 

The two officers had no sooner approached the Tripolitans 
than, from every gun-boat, they were commanded to come 
alongside. Uncertain to whom to yield, they directed their 
course towards what they supposed to be the commander's 
vessel. The Tripolitans, supposing the Americans were 
striving to escape, fired into the boat, gave chase, and finally 
ran them aboard. A score of ferocious ruffians, leaping into 
the boat, snatched away the swords of the two officers, half 
stripped their victims, and plundered both Porter and Biddle 
of nearly every thing they had about their persons. Fortu- 



JAMES BIDDLE. 515 

nately the latter had slipped into his boot gold to the amount 
of twenty dollars, and this escaped the search of the robbers 
The captives were then carried on shore, and, amid the 
hootings of the rabble, conducted to the bashaw's palace. 
Here they remained for hours, ignorant of the fate of their 
companions, and tortured by questions. At last, however, 
Bainbridge, with his remaining officers and crew, was brought, 
with many tokens of popular insult, into the presence of 
the bashaw, and having been interrogated awhile, the whole 
were thrust into a prison hastily prepared for their reception. 

In another place we have dwelt upon the horrors of that 
prolonged captivity. Pent up in close confinement, gradually 
deprived of their ^rst hopes of a speedy release, and often 
threatened with death by the angry bashaw, it is a wonder 
that the health and spirits of the American prisoners did 
not give way. But crew and officers alike preserved their 
fortitude. The latter happily were confined together, and 
thus mutually deriving strength from each other, maintained 
almost a haughty port in the presence of their tyrant. Their 
cheerfulness amazed their jailers. The composed air with 
which they received the threats of the bashaw moved even 
the stoical Mohammedans. When the cannon of the Ameri- 
can fleet, during Preble's famous assault, shook the solid 
walls of Tripoli, the kindling eye of the prisoners, and their 
scarcely suppressed hurrahs, half enraged, and yet appalled 
the Turks. Throughout the whole of this protracted 
captivity, Biddle bore himself with noble equanimity. His 
fortitude was surpassed by none, while his sacrifices exceeded 
those of many. The delay in his release having induced his 
family to take steps for his private ransom, he declared, as 
soon as he became acquainted with it, that he would remain 
to share the fate of his fellow-captives. Not until his country 
should entirely abandon him, he said, would he resort to 
other means to obtain his release. 

At last, after an imprisonment of nineteen months, the 

34 



516 * JAMES BIDDLE. 

captives were liberated on the conclusion of the peace. In 
September, 1805, Biddle reached his native land. Arriving 
at Hampton Roads, in company with Bainbridge, they 
travelled northward to Philadelphia by land. Everywhere 
along the road they were received with marks of distinction. 
The people, affected by the story of their sufferings, thronged 
to behold them as they passed. Nor was the government 
behind in exhibitions of sympathy and respect. Biddle was 
immediately promoted to a lieutenancy. After being at 
home for a few weeks only, he was ordered to the southern^ 
station, where he was given the command of a gun-boat. 
For some time he cruised in company with the frigate Adams, 
and afterwards in company with the brig Hornet. The princi- 
pal rendezvous was Charleston. Here Biddle was received with 
particular distinction, not only because he had been one of the 
prisoners at Tripoli, but because he was the nephew of that 
gallant Nicholas Biddle, the favourite of the South, whose 
last expedition had been fitted out at that port, and who had 
perished as it were almost within sight of the Palmetto State. 
In 1807, after having been on a furlough for several 
months, Biddle accepted an offer to make a voyage to China, 
in the capacity of first officer of a merchant-ship. During 
his absence^the embargo act was passed. On his return, he . 
was attached to the Delaware flotilla, employed, under Com- 
modore Murray, to enforce the new law. Irksome as this 
gun-boat service was, no other was open, at that time, to 
those seeking employment ; for but one frigate, the Chesa- 
peake, was in commission. In January, 1809, however, Con- 
gress authorized the equipment of several frigates. To one of 
these, Bainbridge was appointed. He immediately selected 
Biddle for his second lieutenant. In May, 1810, Bainbridge 
gave up his vessel, when Biddle obtained the temporary 
charge of the Syren sloop-of-war. He subsequently served on 
board the Constitution, Captain Hull, and the President, Com- 
modore Rodgers. In December, 1811, he sailed for Europe, as 



JAMES BIDDLE. 517 

bearer of despatches to our minister in France, Biddle was 
fortunate in his visit to Paris. The period was one memor- 
able even in a memorable age. Napoleon was at the height 
of his career ; the French capital was the centre of European 
attraction ; and, in the verj vortex of this glory and 
splendour, the joung officer remained nearly four months. 
It was a scene never to be forgotten. Yet, in a little more 
than two years, all that pomp and power had departed; the 
emperor was discrowned and in exile; and foreign soldiers 
filled the proud streets, which but now glittered with a 
hundred thousand French bayonets. 

Scarcely had Biddle reached the United States, on his 
return, when war was declared with Great Britain. Having 
no aj)pointment to any vessel, he determined to volunteer. 
For this purpose he repaired to New York, intending to offer 
himself to Commodore Rodgers; but when he reached his 
destination, he found that the commodore had sailed a few 
hours before. He then sought to accompany Porter, who 
was about to sail in the Essex. But unfortunately for his 
dreams of distinction, Biddle was senior to any of Porter's 
lieutenants, and these naturally objected to receiving an 
officer on board who would outrank them. Yet the ardent 
young lieutenant was unwilling still to surrender his pursuit. 
Hurrying to Washington, he solicited of the secretary of the 
navy an order to join the first frigate that should arrive in 
port ; but, as these all had their full complement of officers, 
the application necessarily failed. Disappointed at every 
turn, Biddle went back to Philadelphia. . But here, to his 
joy, he found the sloop-of-war Wasp, Captain Jones, which 
had just arrived with despatches from France, and which 
was without her full complement of officers. He lost no 
time, but procured an order at once to join her as first 
lieutenant. 

The eagerness which Biddle had displayed to be employed, 
— an eagerness conspicuous even in that day of ardent young 



518 JAMES BIDDLE. 

• 

heroes, — was rewarded almost immediately after his vessel 
went to sea. On the loth of October, 1812, the Wasp left 
the Delaware; and, on the 18th, she captured the Frolic. 
It was Biddle's duty, after the battle, to take charge of the 
prize. He had, however, scarcely begun to repair the Frolic, 
when a British line-of-battle ship hove in sight, and, as both 
the victor and vanquished were too much injured to escape, 
the seventy-four captured the Wasp, as well as recaptured 
the Frolic. Jones and Biddle, with the remaining officers 
and crew, were carried to Bermuda, and, after a short inter- 
val, released on parole, when they returned to the United 
States. Here honours were lavishly bestowed on Jones. 
Nor did Biddle go unrewarded. Pennsylvania voted him a 
sword. Maryland passed a complimentary resolution in his 
favour. Congress bestowed on him a silver medal. The 
citizens of Philadelphia presented him with a magniiicent 
urn. And, on his exchange, he was promoted by the navy 
department to the rank of master-commandant, and, soon 
after, on the return of the Hornet to port, intrusted with 
that vessel. 

Biddle lost no time in preparing his ship for sea, and, late 
in May, sailed from New York, in company with the frigates 
United States and Macedonian. But, on the first of June, 
the little squadron was met, off the eastern coast of Long 
Island, by a superior force of the enemy, and compelled to 
seek refuge in New London harbour. Here the three ships 
remained blockaded during the remainder of the year, and 
almost the whole of the next. During this period more than 
one attempt was made to arrange a combat between one or 
more of the American vessels and an equal force on the side 
of the British; but the efforts invariably failed. At one 
time a challenge passed between the Loup Cervier, an 
English sloop-of-war, and the Hornet, the captain of the 
former offering to limit his crew to the same number as that 
of the latter, provided Biddle would inform him what that 



JAMES BIDDLE. 519 

number was. But Decatur, the senior officer of the Ameri- 
can squadron, declined to permit Biddle engaging on these 
terms, as the British evidently intended to man the Loup 
Cervier with a picked crew, an example which it would be 
both impossible and illegal for the Americans to imitate. 
He authorized Biddle, however, to fight the Loup Cervier 
' under a pledge that no additions should be made to the 
crew of either vessel. Accordingly, Biddle notified his 
challenger of these terms, and, in addition, agreed to reduce 
the armament of the Hornet to eighteen guns, which was 
understood to be the force of the Loup Cervier. No answer 
was ever returned to this proposal. The day after Biddle 
despatched his letter, the British sloop-of-war left the vicinity, 
and did not return during the war. 

In November, 1814, permission was granted by the 
department for the Hornet to leave New London, if she 
could make good her escape; for hitherto she had been 
detained in that harbour to assist in defence of the frigates 
moored higher up the Thames. Accordingly, on the night 
of the 18th, Biddle, having placed his ship in her best trim 
for sailing, eluded the British squadron, and safely made his 
way to New York. He was immediately attached to the 
squadron then fitting out under Decatur, destined to cruise 
in the East Indies. The President went to sea, with the 
commodore, on the 14th of January, 1815, leaving the 
Hornet and Peacock to bring out the store-ship subsequently, 
when she should be ready. The President, being pursued 
by the entire British fleet, and having sustained an injury 
in crossing the bar, was captured. The three remaining 
vessels went to sea in a gale of wind, on the 23d of January. 
Three days after, the Hornet separated from her consorts, to 
give chase to a strange sail, which, however, proved to be a 
neutral. She then held her course for the Island of Tristan 
d'Acunha, which had been appointed as a rendezvous for 
the squadron. 



520 JAMES BIDDLE. 

Here, at last, Biddle found the opportunity which he had 
so long desired. On the morning of the 23d of March, as he 
was about to anchor off the north end of the island, a sail 
was descried to the southward and eastward, which was 
almost immediately pronounced to be the foe. Once before, 
Biddle had met an enemy, but he was then in the position 
of a subordinate : now he was about to encounter one in a 
vessel commanded by himself; and his heart beat high in 
consequence. Yet, in his official letter describing the battle 
that ensued, there is no evidence of this proud exultation ; 
but only a plain narration of facts, such as a brave but 
modest man might be expected to give. We cannot better 
do justice to Biddle, indeed, than by allowing him to tell his 
own tale. " I have the honour to inform you," he says, 
addressing Decatur, to whom, as commander of the squadron, 
he was bound to report, " that on the morning of the 23d 
instant, at half-past ten, when about to anchor off the north 
end of the island of Tristan d'Acunha, a sail was seen to the 
southward and eastward, steering to the westward, the wind 
fresh from S. S. W. In a few minutes, she had passed on to 
the westward so far that we could not see her for the land. 
I immediately made sail for the westward, and, shortly after 
getting in sight of her again percqived her to bear up before 
the wind. I hove to for him to come down to us. When 
she had approached near, I filled the main-topsail, and 
continued to yaw the ship, while she continued to come 
down, wearing occasionally to prevent her passing under 
our stern. At forty minutes past one P. m., being within 
nearly musket-shot distance, she hauled her wind on the 
starboard tack, hoisted English colours, and fired a gun. 
We immediately luffed to, hoisted our ensign, and gave the 
enemy a broadside. The action being thus commenced, a 
quick and well-directed fire was kept up from this ship, the 
enemy gradually drifting nearer to us, when, at fifty-five 
minutes past one, he bore up, apparently to run us on board. 



JAMES BIDDLE. 521 

As soon as I perceived he would certain!}^ fall on board, I 
called the boarders, so as to be ready to repel any attempt to 
board us. At the instant every officer and man repaired to 
the quarter-deck, when the two vessels were coming in con- 
tact, and eagerly pressed me to permit them to board the 
enemy ; but this I would not permit, as it was evident, from 
the commencement of the action, that our fire was. greatly 
superior both in quickness and in effect. The enemy's bow- 
sprit came in between our main and mizzen rigging, on our 
starboard side, affording him an opportunity to board us, if 
such was his design ; but no attempt was made. There was 
a considerable swell on, and as the sea lifted us ahead, the 
enemy's bowsprit carried away our mizzen shrouds, stern- 
davits, and spanker-boom, and he hung upon our larboard 
quarter. At this moment, an officer, who was afterwards 
recognised to be Mr. McDonald, the first lieutenant and the 
then commanding officer, called out that they had surren- 
dered. I directed the marines and musketry-men to cease 
firing, and while on the taffrel, asking if they had surren- 
dered, I received a wound in the neck. The enemy just 
then got clear of us, and his foremast and bowsprit being 
both gone, and perceiving us wearing to give him a fresh 
broadside, he again called out that he had surrendered. It 
was with difficulty I could restrain my crew from firing into 
him again, as he had certainly fired into us after having sur- 
rendered. From the firing of the first gun, to the last time 
the enemy cried out he had surrendered, was exactly twenty 
two minutes by the watch. She proved to be his Britannic 
Majesty's brig Penguinj mounting sixteen thirty-two pound 
carronades, two long twelves, a twelve-pound carronade on 
the top-gallant forecastle, with a swivel on the capstern in 
the tops. She had a spare port forward, so as to fight both 
her long guns of a side. She sailed from England in Sep- 
tember last. She was shorter upon deck than this ship by 
two feet, but she had a greater length of keel, greater breadth 



522 JAMES BIDDLE. 

of beam, thicker sides, and higher bulwarks than this ship, 
and was in all respects a remarkably fine vessel of her class. 
The enemy acknowledged a complement of one hundred and 
thirty-two — twelve of them supernumerary marines from the 
Medway seventy-four, received on board in consequence of 
their being ordered to cruise for the American privateer 
Young Wasp. They acknowledge also a Ipss of fourteen 
killed and twenty-eight wounded ; but Mr. Mayo, who was 
in charge of the prize, assises me that the number of killed 
was certainly greater. Among the killed are Captain Dick- 
enson, who fell at the close of the action, and the boatswain ; 
among the wounded are the second lieutenant, purser, and 
two midshipmen. Each of the midshipmen lost a leg. We 
received on board, in all, one hundred and eighteen prisoners, 
four of whom have since died of their wounds. Having re- 
moved the prisoners, and taken on board such provisions and 
stores as would be useful to us, I scuttled the Penguin this 
morning before daylight, and she went down. As she was 
completely riddled by our shot, her foremast and bowsprit 
both gone, and her mainmast so crippled as to be incapable 
of being secured, it seemed unadvisable, at this distance 
from home, to attempt sending her to the United States. 
This ship did not receive a single round shot in her hull, 
nor any material wound in her spars : the rigging and sails 
were very much cut ; but having bent a new suit of sails, 
and knotted and secured our rigging, we are now completely 
ready in all respects for any service. We were eight men 
short of a complement, and had nine up^n the sick-list the 
morning of the action." 

In this gallant action, the Americans lost but one killed 
and eleven wounded. Biddle, however, had more than one 
narrow escape from death. In the early part of the battle, 
be was twice struck in the face with splinters, either of 
which might have inflicted a mortal wound. The injury in 
bis n<ick, to which he so modestly alludes, was received 



JAMES BIDDLE. 523 

under circumstances that "^ight have pardoned severe re- 
mark. As the enemy had surrendered, Biddle, standing on 
the tafferel, ordered the musketry from the Hornet to cease. 
At this instant one of his officers called to him that a man 
on board the Penguin was taking aim at him. Biddle did 
not hear the remark, his back being towards the speaker. 
But two of the marines, perceiving the man, simultaneously 
levelled their pieces, and he fell dead immediately, though 
not till he had discharged his gun. It is possible, however, 
that the balls struck him in time to disconcert his aim, or 
that the warning given to Biddle was overheard by him, and 
produced a similar effect ; for the shot, instead of striking 
Biddle in a mortal part, lodged in the neck, inflicting a com- 
paratively slight wound. The blood, however, flowed pro- 
fusely, and two seamen, seizing him in their arms, would 
have carried him below. But Biddle refused to leave the 
deck. At this, one of the men tontr off his shirt and tied it 
about his captain's neck. It was not until all the wounded 
had been attended to, that Biddle allowed the surgeon to 
approach him. 

The Hornet was rejoined, soon after .this victory, by the 
Peacock and the store-ship, from which, as we have seen, she 
parted on the voyage out. The capture of Decatur not being 
known to Biddle or his companions, they waited for some 
time, in hopes that the President would arrive at the 
rendezvous, according to appointment. But the period 
agreed on having past without tidings of their consort, the 
Hornet and Peacock continued their voyage, first having 
converted the store-ship into a cartel, to carry the British 
prisoners into San Salvador. The two men-of-war, however, 
had been but a fortnight on their way, when they fell in with 
a British seventy-four. The Peacock, in consequence of a 
better position, and superior fleetness, had but little difficulty 
in making her escape. But the Hornet was not so fortunate. 
For three days the enemy pursued the sloop-of-war, and, on 



524 JAMES BIDDLE, 

more than one occasion, capture appeared inevitable to 
Biddle and his crew. Their escape, at las't, was almost 
miracidoiis. We again have recourse to the hero's own pen 
for a narrative of this extraordinary pursuit, which was as 
creditable to him, in every way, as even the victory over the 
Penguin. " I have the honour," he says, addressing Decatur 
from San Salvador, whither he had repaired to refit, "to 
report that the Peacock and this ship, having continued off 
Tristan d'Acunha the number of days directed by you in, 
your letter of instructions, proceeded in company to the east- 
ward on the 12th of April, bound to the second place of ren- 
dezvous. Nothing of any importance occurred to us until 
the 27th of April, when, at seven A. m., in lat. 38° 30' S. 
and Ion. 33° E., we made a strange sail in the S. E., to 
which we gave chase. The wind was from the N. E. by N. 
and light throughout the day, and by sundown we had 
neared the chase considerably. It was calm during the 
night, and at daylight on the 28th he was yet in sight. A 
breeze springing from the N. W., we crowded sail, with steer- 
ing-sails on both sides ; the chase standing to the northward 
upon a wind. At forty-five minutes past two P. M. the Pea- 
cock was about six miles ahead of this ship; and observing 
that she appeared to be suspicious of the chase, I took in 
starboard steering-sails, and hauled up for the Peacock. I 
was still, however, of opinion that the chase was an India- 
man, though indeed the atmosphere was quite smoky and 
indistinct, and I concluded, as she was very large, that Cap- 
tain Warrington was waiting for me to join him, that we 
might together go alongside of her. At twenty-two minutes 
past three p. m., the Peacock made the signal that the chase 
was a ship of the line, and an enemy. I immediately took 
in all steering-sails, and hauled open a wind ; the enemy 
then upon our lee-quarter, distant about eight miles. By 
sundown I had perceived that the enemy sailed remarkably 
fast, and was very weatherly. 



JAMES BIDDLE. 525- 

" At nine P. M., as the enemy was gaining upon us, and ap 
there was every appearance that he would be enabled to 
keep sight of us during the night, I considered it necessary 
to lighten this ship. I therefore threw overboard twelve 
tons of kentledge, part of our shot, some of our heavy spars, 
cut away the sheet anchor and cable, and started the wedges 
of the masts. At two A. m., the enemy being rather before 
our lee beam, I tacked to the westward; the enemy also 
tacked and continued in chase of us. At daylight on the 
29th, he was within gun-shot upon our lee quarter. At seven 
A. M., having hoisted English colours and a rear admiral's 
flag, he commenced firing from his bow guns. As his shot 
went over us, I cut away the remaining anchor and cable, 
threw overboard the launch, six of our guns, more of our 
shot, and every heavy article that was at hand. The enemy 
fired about thirty shot, not one of which took efiect, though 
most of them passed over us. While he was firing, I had 
the satisfaction to perceive that we slowly dropped him, and 
at nine A. M. he ceased his fire. 

" At eleven A. m. the enemy was again coming up with us. 
I now, therefore, threw overboard all our remaining guns but 
one long gun, nearly all our shot, all our spare spars, cut 
away the top-gallant forecastle, and cleared every thing off 
deck, as well as from below, to lighten as much as possible. 
At noon the enemy again commenced firing. He fired many 
shot, only three of which came on board — two striking the 
hull, and one passing through the jib. It is, however, 
extraordinary, that every shot did not take effect ; for the 
enemy, the second time he commenced firing, was certainly 
within three-quarters of a mile of the ship, and the sea quite 
smooth. I perceived from his sails that the effect of his fire 
was to deaden his wind ; and at two p. m. the wind, which had 
previously, and greatly to our disadvantage, backed to the 
south-east, hulled to the westward, and freshened up. At 
sundown the enemy was about four miles astern. The wiai 



626 JAMES BIDDLE. 

was fresh, and we went at the rate of nine knots throughout 
the night. We saw the enemy at intervals through the 
squalls during the night, and at daylight on the 30th he was 
about twelve miles astern, still in chase of us. At thirty 
minutes after nine A. m. he took in steering-sails, reefed his 
topsail, and hulled to the eastward, and at eleven he was 
entirely out of sight. 

" During the chase the enemy appeared to be very crank, 
and I therefore concluded he must have been lightened while 
in chase of us. I did not at any time fire our stern-chasers, 
because it was manifest that the enemy injured his sailing 
by his firing. As we had now no anchor, no cable, no boat, 
and but one gun, there was of course an absolute necessity 
of relinquishing our intended cruise; and as in our then 
condition it would have been extremely hazardous, on account 
of the enemy's cruisers, to approach our own coast, I con- 
sidered it most advisable to proceed for this port. I arrived 
here yesterday, and on my arrival I received information of 
the peace between the United States and Great Britain. 
Permit me to state, that it was with the most painful reluct- 
ance, and upon the fullest conviction that it was indispensable, 
in order to prevent a greater misfortune, that I could bring 
my mind to consent to part with my guns ; and I beg leave 
to request that you will be pleased to move the honourable 
secretary of the navy to call a court of inquiry to investigate 
the loss of the armament of this ship. It will be very 
satisfactory to me to have such an investigation." 

The court of inquiry, thus solicited, met at New York, 
where Biddle had arrived on the 30th of July. The result 
was a unanimous acquittal. Nor was this all. For the court 
was so deeply impressed with the perseverance, gallantry, 
and nautical skill which Biddle had displayed during the 
chase, that they recorded their admiration of it in their 
verdict. Indeed, among naval writers, the escape of the 
Hornet has generally been considered an exploit scarcely 



JAMES BIDDLE, 527 

surpassed by the capture of the Penguin, though that is 
regarded as one of the most brilliant affairs of the war of 
1812. The seventy-four which chased Biddle was, at one 
time; as close to him as Decatur was to the Macedonian 
when he first opened his fire on the latter vessel. During 
the pursuit, too, Biddle was suffering from debility occasioned 
by his wound. In whatever light the exploit is regarded, it 
appears equally bold. In truth, the entire cruise of the 
Hornet was courageous, almost beyond precedent. Most 
naval commanders, after such a capture as that of the 
Penguin, would have returned to port ; but Biddle's soaring 
spirit saw in one success only additional incentives for new 
enterprises. The popular voice, ever excited by a character 
so lofty, hailed the hero, on his return, with enthusiastic 
applause.' The citizens of New York tendered him a public 
dinner. Those of Philadelphia presented him with a service 
of plate. His professional feelings were complimented in a 
way equally gratifying, for he found that, during his absence, 
he had been promoted to the rank of post-captain. 

The services of Biddle did not close with the war of 1812, 
but the duties in which he was subsequently engaged afforded 
no opportunity for distinction. He took possession of Oregon 
in 1817, under orders from the government. He served in" 
the West Indies in 1822, and again in the following year. 
He carried out Mr. Nelson, minister to Spain, in 1824, and, 
in the same vessel, Mr. Rodney, our first ambassador to 
Brazil. In 1828 he made a cruise in the Mediterranean, 
and signed, on behalf of his government, a commercial treaty 
with Turkey. He was afterwards appointed to the command 
of the Naval Asylum at Philadelphia, where he passed the 
closing years of his life. He died in 1848. 

The personal appearance of Biddle was agreeable, and his 
manners singularly conciliatory. He was brave, yet prudent; 
adventurous, yet wise. 




JAMES BARRON. 



No history of the navy would deserve to be considered 
impartial, which omitted to record the services of the unfor- 
tunate. Fame does not always shower her favours with an 
even hand. In the lottery of glory, some draw prizes greater 
than their deserts, while others are rewarded with unmerited 
blanks. An honest conviction that James Barron belonged 
to the latter class induces us to narrate the troubled story 
of his life. 

Barron was the son of a. naval officer renowned in the 
history of Virginia during the war of Independence ; a bold, 
patriotic, sagacious seaman, who at one time held the rank 
of "Commodore of all the armed vessels of the common- 
wealth." It was in 1768 that James Barron was born. At 
an early age he displayed a fondness for the sea, and entering 
the mercantile marine, gradually rose in rank until he had 
reached his thirtieth year, when, on the formation of the 
federal navy, he sought for and obtained a lieutenancy in 
the new service. Here promotion soon rewarded him. In 
1799 he was made a post-captain, the highest grade in the 
navy, a rank which he was destined to fill, through good and 
through evil repute, for more than fifty years. 
528 



JAMES BARRON. 529 

His first employment after this elevation was in the 
Mediterranean, where he served under his elder brother, 
Commodore Samuel Barron. He soon attained a high repu- 
tation for seamanship. He was considered one of the best 
disciplinarians in the navy. He had invented the first code 
of signals used in the service. He was universally regarded 
as an efficient and accomplished officer, who, not content with 
mere experience, sought to add to it every aid of science. 
A bright and prosperous career was apparently before him. 
Successive administrations trusted and employed him, nor 
was the applause of the people wanting ; when suddenly, and 
at the very height of his success, he met with a disaster 
which led to his suspension from the navy, and for nearly an 
entire generation consigned him to poverty and disgrace. 

In 1807, having been appointed to the command of the 
Mediterranean squadron, he hoisted his broad pennant on 
board the Chesapeake, and sailed from Norfolk. The prepa- 
ration of the ship had been left, as usual, to subordinate 
officers; and owing to the few frigates that were then fitted 
out, this duty had not been executed as it should have been. 
"When Barron came on board, therefore, the vessel was in no 
condition to meet a foe. Little was thought of this, however, 
as the United States was not at war with any power, and 
nothing would have been considered more unlikely, perhaps, 
even if it had been suggested, than a rencontre with an 
enemy. But the result proved that a man-of-war should 
never be unprepared for the contingency of a battle. Scarcely 
had the Chesapeake left the coast, when the British ship Leo- 
pard intercepted her, to demand certain deserters, allegc^d to 
be on^^board the American frigate. Barron refused to deliver 
up the fugitives, when a broadside was fired into his ship, and, 
being in no condition to resist, he was compelled to strike 
his colours, and suffer the men to be seized. 

The insult to the United States was avenged, as such 
insults too often are, by making a sacrifice of Barron. The 



530 JAMES BARRON. . . 

charge of cowardice was brought against him in the public 
prints, was echoed in political circles, and was even taken up 
in the service itself. A court-martial, summoned to try the 
unfortunate victim, pronounced him guilty, and suspended 
him from the navy for a term of years. In other parts of 
this volume we have discussed at length the justice of this 
penalty, and shall not consequently enter on the controversy 
again. It is sufficient here to say that Barron, like Byng, 
was the victim of circumstances, rather than of any cowardice 
of his own ; but, more fortunate, even in his misfortune, than 
Bjng, he escaped with his life. His sentence, at the time, 
was approved by all parties; but this establishes only the 
extent of the popular delusion : it becomes the duty of im- 
partial history to cancel, in part, the verdict so unjustly 
rendered and enforced. 

Poverty compelled Barron^ thus deprived of his pay and 
rank, to seek employment; and for this purpose he went 
abroad. His term of suspension had not expired when the 
war of 1812 broke out. As soon as that period had passed, 
however, he determined to return to the United States ; but 
circumstances, for a time, prevented the execution of his 
design ; and when, at last, he reached his native land, 
hostilities had ceased. Meantime, his protracted absence 
had caused animadversion. Neither the poverty that drove 
him abroad nor the difficulties that prevented his return 
were known except to a small circle of his friends ; so that 
what had really been his necessity, was charged upon him as 
his fault. The brave, but impetuous Decatur was foremost 
among those who censured Barron; and his charges were 
made so publicly, that the latter, in justice to his own re-fu- 
tation, was compelled to notice them. Decatur refusing to 
retract, a duel ensued, when the hero fell. This unfortunate 
result brought down on the head of Barron another tempest 
of popular indignation. But the condemnation was no less 
unj ust than the preceding one, for, after such aspersions as 



•• JAMES BARRON. 531 

Decatur had cast upon his courage, a hostile meeting was 
inevitable, according to the code of honour. Barron cannot 
be censured, but is rather to be pitied. No man in the ser- 
vice, perhaps, could do as much injury to a fellow-officer as 
Decatur, by any imputation on his bravery, for no man was 
equally a popular idol. It is to the credit of the dying hero 
that he retracted his aspersions, regretted the controversy, 
and strove to repair the injury he had done. 

Barron's closing years were spent entirely on shore. He 
commanded at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, and subse- 
quently at that of Norfolk. His last post was that of super- 
intendent of the Philadelphia Naval Asylum. When, finally, 
increasing, infirmities compelled him to abandon all employ- 
ment, he retired to his native State, and took up his resi- 
dence at Norfolk. Here, in 1851, he died, the senior captain 
on the list. 



35 




ROBERT F. STOCKTON. 



Had Stockton Uved a generation earlier, he would probably 
have divided with Hull, Decatur, Stewart, and Bainbridge 
the glories of our naval victories in 1812. Nature lavished 
upon him largely every requisite for a hero. But the war 
in which those great men won their laurels found Stockton 
a lad, with no higher rank than a midshipman ; nor did fate, 
during the entire contest, present him with a single oppor- 
tunity to achieve that renown for which his ardent spirit 
burned. 

The ancestors of Stockton were among the most eminent 
citizens of New Jersey ; his paternal grandfather being par- 
ticularly distinguished as a member of the Congress of 1776, 
in which capacity he voted for and signed the Declaration 
of Independence. Descended from such blood, it is no 
wonder that the subject of this sketch desired, even in his 
earliest years, to devote his life to the service of his country. 
532 



ROBERT F. STOCKTON. 535 

His tastes and his ambition, not less than his patriotism, led 
him to seek admission to the navy. His family accordingly 
secured for him a midshipman's warrant. To his new pro- 
fession he devoted himself enthusiastically. Promotion, 
which came far earlier then than now, did not long leave him 
unrewarded, for in 1814 we find him elevated to the rank of 
lieutenant, his commission dating from the 9th of July. 

The reputation of Stockton, even before the close of the 
war, was considerable, though confined within the limits of 
his profession and of his personal friends. Already he was ' 
quoted as a thorough seaman. Already he was known for 
his dashing gallantry. Already his intellectual abilities 
attracted notice, as superior to those of his young contempo- 
raries generally. After that period his reputation steadily 
increased. He served, for many years, on various stations, 
and gradually acquired the name of an energetic officer, who, 
in the event of a war, if in a separate command, would win 
his way to glory by making opportunities, if they failed to 
come of themselves. When hostilities broke out with Mexico 
in 1846, this reputation was fully confirmed by facts. V 

The Pacific squadron, under Commodore Sloat, had, imme- 
diately after the commencement of hostilities, seized Monte- 
rey, in California ; and Sloat was still anchored at that town, 
when Stockton, on the 22d of July, 1846, arrived to relieve 
him. The eager hero immediately prepared, in conjunction 
with Colonel Fremont, then opportunely in California at the 
head of an exploring party, to reduce the entire province to 
subjection ; and so rapid were the combined movements of 
the two American leaders, and with such courage were they 
supported by their followers, that, in a time almost incredibly 
short, the conquest was efiected, and a provisional government 
established. On the 13th of August, or less than a month 
after Stockton appeared on the scene, he and Fremont 
triumphantly entered Los Angeles, the capital of the Cali- 
fornias. 



636 



ROBERT F. STOCKTON. 




STOCKTON AMD FREMONT'S TRIUMPHANT ENTRY INTO LOS ANQELES. 



In the following December, however, the provinces rose in 
insurrection. At Los Angeles and other points, the flag of 
the United States was ignominiously torn down, and that of 
Mexico hoisted in its place amid the shouts of the populace. 
Stockton, learning this change in affairs, despatched the 
frigate Savannah to San Pedro, where her crew was landed, 
and the march taken up for Los Angeles. A superior force 
of the insurgents, however, compelled them to retreat, before 
they had attained their object. Stockton now hurried to 
the scene of action with the frigate Congress, and debarking 
six of the ship's guns, moved on Los Angeles with all speed. 
At the rancho Seputrida he met the enemy, when a sharp 
action ensued. Stimulated by their preceding successes, the 
Mexicans fought, at first, with much obstinacy; but the 
deadly fire of Stockton's cannon, which were served with 
grape and canister, finally drove them from the field, leaving 
one hundred of their dead behind. 

This bold and decisive conduct on the part of Stockton 



ROBERT F. STOCKTON. 537 

damped the spirits of the insurgents so that they never again, 
recovered confidence. Nevertheless, they summoned courage, 
or, more correctly speaking, were driven by despair, to meet 
the Americans in two more pitched battles. These actions 
were fought on the 8th and 9th of January, 1847, by the 
combined naval and land forces of Stockton and Kearny, 
the latter general having just arrived in California from the 
United States, by the overland route, bringing one hundred 
dragoons and two mountain howitzers. Both combats ter- 
minated to the advantage of the Americans. The enemy, 
indeed, after the last battle, were completely broken up, nor 
did they ever again attempt to resist the victorious career of 
the invaders. Subsequent to this final subjugation of Cali- 
fornia, Stockton became involved in a controversy with 
Kearny, the latter claiming to be the rightful governor of 
California, an office which the former considered to belong to 
Fremont. This controversy, the merits of which are foreign 
to our present purpose, was terminated by the arrival of 
Commodore Shubrick, the senior officer of Stockton, who took 
the part of Kearny. 

Stockton now returned to the United States, where he was 
received with great applause, on account of the brilliancy of 
these exploits in California. Soon after his arrival, he 
resigned his commission, and, in 1851, was elected to the 
Senate of the United States by the legislature of New 
Jersey. 




LAXDINQ OF THE AMERICAN AEMT AT VERA CRUZ. 



DAYID CONNER. 



The landing of Scott's army at Vera Cruz, during the 
struggle with Mexico, was unquestionably the most brilliant 
naval achievement of the war. The merit of this exploit, so 
far as it was shared by the navy, belongs equally, perhaps, 
to. Commodores Conner and Perry ; for while the last com- 
manded the American squadron during the siege, to the first 
is due all the onerous preparations for that event. 

David Conner, like most of those who have risen to dis- 
tinction in the service, entered the navy at an early age. 
His warrant as a midshipman was dated the 16th of January, 
1809. His youth and comparative inexperience, during the 
war then just begun, prevented his earning public distinction 
at that period ; but he acquired in the service the reputation 
of thoroughly understanding his profession, of being a brave 
officer, and of possessing unusual suavity of manner. The 
538 



DAVID CONNER. 541 

peace, which ensued inil815, cut short any hopes he might 
have entertained of winning a more widely extended renown, 
when he should have attained a higher rank, and with it the 
chance for a separate command. 

For the next thirty years, Conner, like most of his con- 
temporaries, remained comparatively unknown out of his 
profession. But, meantime, his reputation steadily grew 
among those familiar with the service. He was frequently 
employed, and in positions continually increasing in import- 
ance, his promotion keeping pace with his employments. 
At last fortune presented to him a field worthy of his indus- 
try, courage, and abilities. The war with Mexico broke out, 
and the campaign on the Rio Grande, though successful in 
every particular, failing to subdue the determined hostility 
of the enemy, it was resolved to strike a blow at the heart 
of his territories, and accordingly the siege and capture of 
Vera Cruz was decided on, to be followed by a march on the 
capital. To Conner, as commander of the Gulf fleet, fell the 
duty of making preparations for these great events. 

Already the commodore had done his part manfully in 
harassing the enemy. He had maintained the blockade of 
Vera Cruz with unabated spirit, in the face of frequent 
tempests, and in spite of many other difficulties. He had 
captured Tampico — he had harassed the coast of Mexico from 
the mouth of the Rio Grande to the banks of Gallego. His 
industry and watchfulness had been untiring. And now, 
when the capture of Vera Cruz was determined on, he 
laboured with even increased assiduity in preparing means 
for a successful landing, without which the enterprise, it was 
well known, must fail at the very threshold. The result 
was that the debarkation was finally effected without the 
loss of a life, and in a period of time almost incredible. The 
French admiral, in the famous expedition against Algiers, 
landed only nine thousand men on the first day, and did not 
succeed in doing this until nearly forty lives ha& been lost 



542 DAVID CONNER. 

by accidents of various kinds. It is by comparisons like this 
that the merit of Conner becomes apparent. 

It was on the 7th of March, 1847, that Scott, accompanied 
by Conner, made a reconnoisance of the shore about Vera 
Cruz, in order to select a favourable spot for landing. ' The 
result of the united judgments of the general and commodore 
was to choose a point due west of the island of Sacrificios, 
and nearly equidistant from the castle of San Juan d'Ulloa 
and the grand plaza of the beleagured town. As a desperate 
resistance was expected, Conner took every possible precau- 
tion to secure a successful debarkation. Sixty-seven surf- 
boats had been prepared in anticipation of the event, so as 
to land five thousand five hundred soldiers at a time ; and 
to cover these, two steamers and five gun-boats were directed 
to hold themselves in readiness. Every thing was finally 
arranged for the exploit, and Conner was probably con- 
gratulating himself on the fair promise of success, when he 
was superseded in command of the fleet, by Commodore 
Perry, and compelled to experience that most bitter of morti- 
fications, the beholding another reap the harvest of renown 
which he had, by his own energies, sown and watered. 

Conner did not, however, find the nation ungrateful. The 
public voice everywhere proclaimed him the real hero of the 
landing. His return to the United States was as triumphant 
as if he had remained in command to the fall of the town ; 
and in Philadelphia, which had long been the residence of 
his family, a public dinner was tendered him by the citizens 
without regard to party. 

Conner's countenance is distinguished and striking. He 
is rather above the medium height, with the erect air of his 
profession, and a presence commanding respect involuntarily. 




BOMBARDMENT OF VERA CRUZ. 



MATTHEW C. PERRY. 

As the naval officer in chief command at the siege and 
capitulation of Vera Cruz, Matthew C. Perry merits a place 
among the heroes whom we commemorate. As circum- 
stances brought him on the scene of action at a moment un- 
fortunate for Conner, he has been charged with grasping too 
eagerly at the opportunity for distinction. But though 
history would have praised his delicacy if he had temporarily 
waived his rights, it cannot justly censure him for insisting 
on them, nor deny that, if he had arrived earlier, he would 
probably have made his arrangements with the same care 
and completeness as his predecessor. ,^ 

Perry is descended from a family illustrious, through two 
generations, in the naval annals of the United States. He 
entered the service at quite a youthful age, and rose rapidly 
through the earlier grades, so that we find him, in 1813, 
already a lieutenant. His commission bears date the 24th 

543 



544 MATTHEW C. PERRY. 

of July, in that year, and he ranks fourteenth of the forty- 
four promotions of that date, a fact proving the comparatively 
high position he had ah^eady attained in his profession. In 
common, however, with most of the younger officers, he 
failed to obtain, during the war of 1812, any opportunity for 
special distinction. Fortune Avas, in truth, reserving her 
gifts for a future day, when she designed to favour him with 
prodigal liberality. We pass, at once, over a period of more 
than thirty years, during which Perry gradually rose to be a 
post-captain, in order to arrive at this point. 

The siege of Vera Cruz had already been begun, in March, 
1847, when Perry, who had just been appointed to the com- 
mand of the Gulf fleet, arrived at the scene of action. Conner 
had already prepared every thing for the successful debarka- 
tion of the army, so that nothing remained for Perry but to 
superintend the enterprise. This duty he performed in the 
most creditable manner. Under his direction, twelve thou- 
sand men were landed in one day, without the loss- of a 
single life, or the occurrence of any untoward accident what- 
ever. This debarkation took place on the 9th of March, and 
from that time till the fall of the city, which occurred on the 
27th of the same month. Perry was scarcely less efficient 
than Worth, or even Scott himself, in bringing about the 
final triumph. Not only did he maintain, from his own ele- 
ment, a vigorous bombardment on the castle of San Juan, 
but he also volunteered a battery on shore, which was served 
by detachments of officers and men from the fleet, and which 
materially assisted to reduce the town. 

Like his great relative, Perry is devoured by the love of 
glory, nor will he, when occasion presents, neglect any 
labours to secure the prize. The war, however, presented 
but few further opportunities for naval distinction. He 
omitted, nevertheless, no eflbrts to win new laurels. Two 
towns of minor importance on the Gulf-coast, Tuspan and 
Alvarado, were captured while he was in command — the 



MATTHEW C. PERRY. 



545 



latter by a subaltern, Lieutenant Hunter, whom Perry 
brought to a court-martial for acting without his orders. 

In 1852, Perry was appointed to the command of the East 
India squadron, sailing with a larger fleet than ever before 
was despatched to the Chinese seas. He was directed, by 
his instructions, to open friendly intercourse with Japan 
On this mission he is now absent. 




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